Election

Yesterday's election was the most exciting one of my lifetime.
Just after 11 last night it became clear that Obama had won.
We were at the home of some Democratic parishioners, about 15 of us, in our small rural county that voted about 80% for McCain.
I brought champagne to the party in an act of faith.
We'd been switching from station to station on two televisions since about 8 pm. The big screen in the Great Room toggled between CNN and MSNBC, with a single foray into FOX territory to see what the conservative spin would be. The smaller screen in the sunroom had BBCAmerica and then, in a stroke of brilliance, someone switched to Comedy Central. The news we got was based on the same numbers, but we were hooting with laughter and (occasionally) scooping the official news in the other room. "Wooohooo!!! Obama got Ohio!!!" The comedy station was somehow cathartic. All the vitriol that the Other Side had poured on Our Candidate somehow poured out of even the gentlest of our group as it became increasingly apparent that the last 8 years were nearly over.

Everybody moved into the same room once the race was called for Barack. We listened with amazement to the irenic and generous words of McCain's concession speech, and several of our number commented that, had he run his whole campaign in that spirit, the race would have been far, far closer. (And, okay...if he hadn't made the monumentally stupid choice of a running mate.) When some McCain supporters booed, McCain's rebuke was sincere, and his statements about how he valued being American more than a member of any party rang true. Then we waited, almost afraid to believe the good news, for Obama's speech.

When it came, it was worth waiting for. Finally, we have a president-elect who may be able to use his breathtaking eloquence to lead our country through the difficult times ahead. There was no place in our little group for cynicism. My desire to disparage the Other Side simply evaporated. It was as if I'd realized I was full and no longer felt compelled to stuff my mouth with handful after automatic handful of potato chips.

We departed in what could almost be characterized as solemn joy.

Then this morning on the news I heard comments from several folks leaving the gathering for Senator Saxby Chambliss. Not just one of them said that the news of Barack Obama's election was as devastating (yes, that was the word they used) as 9-11.

I was thunderstruck.
Then I felt physically sick.
Then I got angry.
Then I decided to let it go.

There is important work to do reunifying the country. I am blessed to have lived to see this day, and I pray to be effective in whatever part I am to play.