THE WAY THINGS WERE IN '56

      Well, the election of 2016 is over... and it's easy to see that the results have driven people wild. Like many of you, I know (and love) many people who are broken-hearted... and I know (and love) many others who are utterly filled with joy. Those who are broken-hearted feel that their march toward a more inclusive and global America has been threatened, while those who are elated... feel that America has finally come to its senses. Those who are outraged are surprised because they thought that they had established a "new normal," which others would have to accept, even if they didn't embrace it. They thought that their battle had been won, but those who are elated believe that they are on the brink of gaining control again. They remember a time when men and women had fixed roles. They remember an age when men- black and white- fed their families by working blue-collar jobs... and they remember a world that was orderly, settled, heterosexual, and Christian. The world they grew up in was a simpler world, and it stayed that was until 1956... when Elvis appeared on stage and the stores opened on Sundays.
      Change had been unleashed... and a world, which had remained more or less the same for decades, began to heave and convulse. The lines between the acceptable and unacceptable began to blur, as did the lines between the ordinary from the sacred. It began with an unprecedented generation gap and violent protests over the Viet Nam War, but it didn't stop there. There were riots in our cities and our heroes were assassinated. Abortion became legal and then acceptable, affirmative action began to gain attention, and women marched for equality, Nativity scenes were banned from the public arena, politically correct language became the only language we were allowed to speak, and individual rights began to outweigh concern for the whole. All of this was coupled with a stampede to worship at the altars of self and wealth, a growing divide between urban and rural America, and a love affair with international trade.
      The times really were changing... at blinding speed. The "new" was in and the "old" was out, and  those who didn't embrace the "new" weren't heard. They were dinosaurs with outdated ideas, and they were seldom even mentioned in the public dialogue. They weren't driving the bus, but they weren't invited to ride along either. They were predominantly- but by no means entirely- white... and they made their living in blue-collar jobs, or farmer's overalls. Or at least they did at one time, but in recent decades they've lived in the shadows of abandoned factories and closed-up store fronts. They've become angrier and angrier with both political parties, and they developed an "attitude," which was exacerbated every time they saw a "Happy Holidays" sign (instead of Merry Christmas) in the mall or pressed the "English" button at the ATM!
      Over the decades, as people on both coasts were getting drunk on their own wine, a new silent majority began to form. It encompassed the religious crowd that Falwell talked about, but it was broader than that one... because it included many others who felt left out too. Good people throughout the midwest and the rural areas of America begin to feel as if they weren't welcome in the country anymore. If they were mentioned at all by the national media, they were mentioned in a mocking way, and they felt as if they were being ridiculed for embracing the values that had made America great. Some of the values that they embraced were wrong-headed, some of them needed to go, but they became increasingly frustrated when elitists labeled them as hateful bigots, angry white men, and religious fanatics. Neither political party paid any attention to them and the media gave no voice to their fears and frustrations. A huge segment of the country felt as if they had been silenced...until Donald Trump came down his escalator! It was an ugly campaign, with enough ugliness to go around. The media tried to mock and make money off Trump at the same time. They gave him non-stop coverage, but since they themselves were part of the coastal in-crowds, they rooted for his collapse. Toward the end, they were sure that America's new agenda would win out. They seemed certain that the coalition of enlightened people would carry the day and that the disgruntled masses of middle America would have to accept the fact that their time is over. But it did NOT happen. The other side won! The crowd who embraced the way things used to be- blue-collar employment, a Biblical foundation for America, anti-abortion laws, and in some cases, white power and male dominance- carried the electoral vote, revealing an America that is almost entirely red throughout its middle. This result was a shock to those who hadn't seen it coming, and they are upset and afraid. They are crying now...and flailing at the darkness, while country's "other half" believes that they have regained control.
      In time, America will digest all of this and come to rest... but it will take time and many more tears. In the end, those who are championing change will prevail because we can't return to a social order that holds some people down and leaves others out. The new will prevail because the world has already changed and it will never be the same. However, in our rush to move on, we cannot leave others behind- not even if they're conservative white men who have blue-collar jobs and love Jesus. We cannot forget about them because they are part of the whole, and we cannot ignore the values that made us great because they are part of who we are!
   
   

POLITICS AND THANKSGIVING DINNER... DON'T MIX

      In just a few days my family will gather for Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward to it. We're planning a couple of big meals and we've set aside some time for a presentation of our family's genealogical tree. There are two little boys in our family and we will give them some early Christmas gifts since we won't have the chance to congregate again before Christmas. It may even be warm enough to get in a little golf. We may do any number of things- it's hard to say- but I am praying that we don't have a political debate... because I love them all.
      Every member of our family is strong and kind. They keep their word and care about other people. They're good people who do what they can to make our world a better place... but they don't share the same political views. Some of them think that, as a country, we still have a lot of work to do... if we are to achieve a society in which all people have real access to wealth and power. Other members of our family think that America has gone mad in recent decades and that we've lost the traditional values that made our country great. They feel that America's working class has been abandoned and forgotten, and that we need to reclaim the Biblical foundation that used to undergird our country. Our family represents the millions of people who are politically divided in America at this time, and in advance of our Thanksgiving gathering, I would offer these thoughts:
1. Family and friends are much more important than political positions. The latter can and should be discussed in a civil manner... but loved ones should be loved unconditionally;
2. As a pastor and as a citizen, I will continue to pray for our elected leaders because I believe it is a Biblical mandate. I prayed for George W Bush. I prayed for Barack Obama, and I will pray for Donald Trump;
3. Certain fundamental rights cannot be compromised! Every American has an inalienable right to pursue happiness and an absolute right to freedom, opportunity, and dignity! These things are higher and deeper that political views and they are non-negotiable;
4. The needs of all Americans are legitimate, and this includes the millions of men and women, both black and white, who used to make decent livings with their hands. These are good people who should not be forgotten or dismissed as dinosaurs;
5. Change will win out. It is inevitable... and some people will be left out. However, ways must be found to find real opportunities for those who are caught up in the change... and each of their voices must be heard and respected;
6.  Put finger-pointing and name-calling aside... and do what you can to make America the country that you think it ought to be. If you think it ought to be more prayerful, pray; if you think it ought to be more tolerant, be tolerant; if you think it ought to be more welcoming, welcome others. Practice what you preach and set an example;
7.  America is a land in which people have always been encouraged to worship their God in their own way, or not to worship any God at all. This right must always be protected, but as a country, it is also true that we live and work under God... who has blessed us in many and varied ways. Each of us. All of us. Amen.