Acceptance

by Rev. Amari Magdalena

There are five agreed upon stages of grief it is said: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.  For many of us in America, the election of 2016 has caused us to move through these stages.  Tomorrow marks the inauguration of a man to the highest position in our country whom many of us have been astounded by.  Few of us have successfully separated the man, however, from the office. The man’s poor behavior has made that a most challenging task.

Tomorrow, like it or not, comes the time for acceptance of the what is and not what we dreamed of. It is our time to grow up, as many have suggested Mr. Trump do, and face a new era in our governance.  Undeniably it is not the outcome or direction we’d have seen our country move in.  That said, it is what it is and in order to move on and complete our grief process we must accept Donald J. Trump as our president.

Does that mean we accept his bad behavior?  Absolutely not!  Does it mean we must stop protesting policies created and dismissed that we feel serve, or not, our collective highest and best good.  Definitely no! It means that he is the president and his office is to be respected even if the occupant is not.  If we claim that we have a democracy, we must fight for it.  It is not always an easy concept or fight. If we want to espouse the concept that “all men are created equal” we must continue to work for causes that insure that very life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I do know from watching unlikely people ordained in my ministry that sometimes people step up to the office or position they’ve been inaugurated into.  I’ve seen that happen and will certainly affirm that as a possibility for Mr. Trump tomorrow.  The enormity of the task before him may help him set aside childish things and move into the responsibility.  One would hope.

In the meantime, I call out to all of us who’ve been in this deep grief since the election to come to acceptance.  Recognize that flawed as our system may be, it holds promise of possibility.  Our diverse population is testament to that.  Our influence in the world speaks to a system whose concept has held a light of hope for many in more oppressive systems.  We’ve been a beacon of light and influence for many years.  Individually and collectively we can work to keep that light growing.

Through acceptance we can move on and up.  We can put our energies not into continued vitriol and judgment and redirect our angst into passionate attachment to causes for good everywhere they are presented.  Our dollars can speak to our passions along with our rhetoric.  Participation in our politics, no matter our affiliation, can move us in a direction of action. Standing up for injustice everywhere, can be the banner we wave. Voicing our concerns without lambasting detractors can be our cry.  As King George VI, was told in The King’s Speech by Lionel Logue, “You have a voice!”  We have voices.  Let us continue to speak for truth, justice, and equality against any clear and present danger.

So tomorrow, at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time, let’s consecrate in each of us a new era of intentional participation in communities for greater good befitting true leadership.  And so it is!

[53 Past Blogs are in my book "Shaman Talk" available in softcover and ebook on Amazon.com]