#BTColumn – In God We Trust

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.

by Guy Hewitt

“This nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

Americans can breathe a sigh of relief having survived the 2020 elections for presidential, congressional, state and local leadership.

If honest, it is apparent that the campaign didn’t always bring out the better angels. With possibly the most contentious election in modern history, the US seems highly polarised.

Boarded-up storefronts across many cities are testament to widely held anxieties; an eerie sight in a country founded on the idea of a peaceful transition of power.

Vox populi, Vox dei (Latin for ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God’). For those who have to embrace the agony of defeat, it is important to realise that in life we don’t always get the results we desire and situations are not always what we would like.

While not the easiest, the best way to move forward is to accept where you are and then move on. Anger, acrimony and resentment waste time and energy.

Acceptance of the situation does not mean that you have given up. In fact, by fully accepting where you are, you enable yourself to make positive use of everything available to you for the future.

As Winston Churchill observed, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” By letting go of your resentment and anger for what isn’t, you can focus on what may yet be to come.

I hope that to move forward, Americans shall hold to E Pluribus Unum and bury the political hatchet, seeking common ground to shape and advance the ‘land of the free.’ We require civics, compassion and community to lead the way rather than the win-at-all-costs mentality and scorched earth tactics that predominate politics, as reflected in many of the electoral races.

I have deliberately identified neither the victor nor vanquished, as this reflection was penned before any returns were known.

This was deliberate to underscore a call to unity which remains salient, regardless of which party or candidates are successful at the polls.

In fact, those elected, whether to Congress, the White House or elsewhere, take upon them the sacred duty to represent all their constituents, not just the ones who voted for them or think like them, but everyone.

While this may seem idealistic, it is possible. Rather than viewing elections solely through a binary lens of ‘winners and losers’ or ‘us vs them’, there is the option of taking the road less travelled, of stepping back then stepping up collegially.

When the votes are counted and winners determined, we hope that the ability of leaders to be able to come together – to give a little bit to get a piece of something rather that settling for the entirety of nothing – is the lasting legacy of this election, not the philosophical divides that campaigns sought to exploit.

In a democracy, individuals not only enjoy the ultimate power but also carry the ultimate responsibility. Let us pray that the good people of this republic uphold that for which they stand: “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Guy Hewitt is a priest who ministers in the Diocese of Southeast Florida.