Rules are made to be broken.
This axiom parallels a statement that harkens back to my law-practicing days. There were times attorneys would say, "Contracts are made to be broken." This, they said, is what keeps the wheels of the legal system churning.
I bring this up because I generally follow an unwritten rule to not discuss politics in a spiritual setting. However, this week's presidential election has had an unusually sobering impact on a significant portion of people within and without the United States. While nearly half of the voting public is happy with the result, it has been emotionally debilitating for those who supported Hillary Clinton.
Thus, a conundrum. There will be people who are on opposite sides of every election. So whenever anyone weighs in, rest assured there will be someone else who will disagree, and perhaps intensely. However, this election is distinct from any I have witnessed during my lifetime.
It has stirred up more division, more antipathy, more vilification and more of a sense of "us vs. them" than normal. I've received a slew of emails and phone calls from people who are stunned, saddened, distraught, mortified, in near psychological meltdown, and practically apoplectic over the result of the election. Calls to crisis support lines have been over two times the average following this election. Many of the calls are from the LGBTQ community, who are fearful that the strides made in equality will recede.
Yet the reason it is important to break my unwritten rule for this election, perhaps more than others, is because it potentially has a spiritual lesson for everyone, regardless of how they voted. This election cycle illustrated, for all to see, what America needs to heal if we are to realize our oneness. This election has served as a lightning rod and emboldened bigotry, xenophobia, sexism, and racism - as well as a backlash against immigrants, whether they are from Mexico or of the Muslim faith.
However, all of this can serve as an evolutionary trigger to help collective humanity grow spiritually. What was bubbling under the surface is now being brought to the light so it can be transformed.
There is one caveat. Before we get to that transformed space, it is essential to fully experience and honor one's feelings surrounding the election results. This is particularly so if you are distressed over the result of the election. Only after we let our feelings fully surface can we shine the light upon them. With that light, we will see them for what they are and address them accordingly.
As we do our inner work, we become aware that what is before us is the world of appearances born out of fear. Yet beyond appearance, there is a world of potential that we would not necessarily see without the evolutionary trigger of this election.
After fully experiencing our feelings and getting to the point of accepting the world as it is, we are in the position to ask the question, "What kind of world do we want to live in?" Most of us don't want to live in a world of strife or separation and division between people.
Assuming this is so, we then ask, "What is it that we must do to create a world of possibilities?" and "What is my assignment to help bring about that world?" Part of the assignment is to make sure that the words we use and the actions we take are in alignment with the world that God sees when we are at our highest and best, and not words or actions that pollute the energy sphere.
We are here for times such as these and to be the possibilities for the creation of a world that works for all. This is something that everyone, no matter who they voted for, can be a part of creating.
Those who loved the outcome of the election can do their part to hold the Trump administration accountable to its promise to be a unifying force for all people. As hard as it may be to do, we need not rail against the fact that Donald Trump was elected. Rather, pray for his success to promote the greater good for all. We shouldn't want him to fail at helping to unify America. That would be like wanting a pilot to unsuccessfully fly the plane we are all passengers in.
It is tough work.
For those who are distraught over the outcome of the election, this is the opportunity to embrace the difficult work of supporting Trump's success to bring about that unity. For many, that seems beyond what's possible. But Howard Thurman, mentor to Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., may be of help with these words: "We must love the person where they are, but treat them as if they are where they can be."
There will be things that we will disagree on, but it can be done strategically and without spewing rancor and enmity toward one another. That is a low vibration that benefits no one.
After her defeat, Hillary Clinton gave a powerful, magnanimous, unifying speech. Donald Trump was gracious. President Obama was wise. Let us build upon that so we can live beautifully in this time of uncertainty and change.
Peace and Blessings,
James