After the Election: What happens now?

Over the past two weeks since the Presidential election, I've read countless reactions to the election itself, reflections on the State of the country, and reactions appointees to Cabinet and White House posts.  Responses across the country have ranged from reflective thinking and writing to boisterous protests.

As an American citizen, I'm concerned at every change of administration, perhaps more so on some occasions than others.  Will the candidates fulfill their campaign pledges?  Will a spirit of unity carry us forward no matter who wins?  Will my future and my children's future be more safe and secure?

The rhetoric and tone of this particular election was harsh, worse than mudslinging I'd heard in previous elections, but maybe only worse in degrees at this level since equally repugnant mudslinging  was happening in other elections, and in local politics where I live now it seems that there are few public officials who are not under indictments for corruption.

I'm reminded of a billboard sign that used to hang next to the Delaware Memorial Bridge.  It read, "Calm down!  Anxiety fuels recessions."  Many today feel that 'keep calm' is not wise advice.  Many today feel we must speak up and speak out.  This response does fit will within the American democratic spirit.  We cannot dispute the election results themselves, unless compelling evidence arises, but we must always be ready to make sure that those who represent us know well what values we expect to drive policy-making decisions and votes.

The thoughts I'm expressing here were motivated by a passage I read in Malcolm Gladwell's 2013 book David and Goliath (Published by Little Brown & Company).  He shares the story of Andre Trocme, a Huguenot Pastor, who was serving the the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon during the World War 2 years.  At the first Sunday service following Germany's occupation of France, Trocme preached a sermon:  "Loving, forgiving, and doing good to our adversaries is our duty.  Yet we must do this without giving up, and without being cowardly.  We shall resist whenever our adversaries demand of us obedience contrary to the orders of the Gospel.  We shall do so without fear, but also without pride and without hate." (Gladwell, 2013, p. 264)

Trocme's heartfelt and defiant tone strikes a balance between maintaining the open-heartedness that faith demands while also calling up the courage that faith also asks us to have in the face of adversity.

Pastor Trocme's spirit can be a guide for us as we gauge how we will conduct ourselves and how we will respond to the varieties of challenges our country faces now.  His approach enabled his parishioners to save the lives of 5,000 refugees, of which 3,000-3,500 were Jews.

May we have the strength to live out his spirit and message today.

Noah - We're all in the same boat

We’ve all heard the expression, we’re all in the same boat.

Meaning, we’re all in the same situation.  No one has any advantage over anyone else.  The same challenges, the same benefits.

Some have speculated the expression comes from the sinking of the Titanic, when upper class passengers found themselves, literally, in the same boat as steerage passengers.  Everyone was together, and in that togetherness, status itself was not relevant or significant.

As we approach election day, I cannot help but think about our country in light of the story of Noah that we read from today.  Noah, his wife Na’amah, his children and their families, all are together, along with all the animals of the world – all in the same boat.

Let’s clarify one significant point about the word ‘boat’.  An Ark is not a boat.  It does not have a rudder.  It does not have oars for steering.  Like a rubber ducky in the bathtub, the Ark goes where the current takes it – really, where God directs it.  And so when Noah, Na’mah, and family say, ‘We’re in the same boat’ – It’s an even stronger expression because they are completely in God’s hands.

I cannot help but think about our country as the boat.

And all of us, of different backgrounds, different political beliefs, different levels of Jewish identification, we all are living under the laws of this country, and, we’re responsible for keeping those laws and creating community here no matter who gets elected to local, state, and federal offices.

After the election on Tuesday, no matter the result, it will be up to us to decide what will be the next meaningful steps to strengthening the democracy in which we live so that we can continue to shape our country, and so our children will have the chance to shape our country when they’re ready for voting and civic action.

Clearly, not all human beings got onto the boat, only Noah and his family.  The Torah describes the rest of the world as lawless and corrupt, and, sadly, tragically, unworthy of being saved.  While this is a story, it is a difficult story, one that reminds us how many people, good people, righteous people, even right here in our own community, feel left out, without a sense of belonging or connection.  Like those swept away by the floodwaters, so many people with meaningful ideas and energy they want to give, never get the chance.

The Rabbis imagined that the wicked generation of the flood surround the Ark and are trying to smash it, break it, destroy it, as the rains start to fall.  God steps to protect Noah’s family – the lions and bears retaliate, and God closes them in. 

But let’s reimagine this teaching.  Let’s reimagine it as the people outside the Ark are the people who would like to be part of the community, part of the Jewish community.  They would like to participate, volunteer, learn, just feel more Jewish but they don’t know how or just cannot find the right bridge or entry point.

And in this case, let’s take our reimagining one step further – we open up the door to the Ark and we welcome them on board, with a hello, a handshake, and an invitation to look around. 

We’re here today for a variety of reasons – because we choose to be, because there’s a special occasion that draws us here, maybe someone else brought us.  My prayer is that when we leave, we take something with us, a feeling, a sense of connection, of being part of something special, and we invite one other person to join us the next time.  We invite someone else to our house on Friday to light candles together, to share a tasty challah.  We get together in a small group to study a topic of interest, to see how thousands of years of Jewish ideas and experiences can help us sort out the difficult questions.  We hold someone’s hand who may be sitting here with us but is far away emotionally, in a world of crisis and hurt, hold their hand just long enough so they know they’re not alone.

The story of Noah is a story of great loss.  Very few survive the cataclysm, a destruction made all the more powerful to behold because just last week we read Braysheet ba’ra, God created the world, and hineh tov me’od, behold God saw the world was very good.  How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?

Now though we have a chance, together, in the same boat as we all are here in the USA, to reimagine our own surroundings, regardless of the result of the Tuesday election, to reimagine them as a place where our Jewish values set the tone instead of our fears, where we are constantly on the lookout for mitzvah opportunities, and where donkeys and elephants are just two examples of the wonders of God’s creation.