Reflections on the Eve of a Contentious Election

 

Dear Friends,

Yesterday afternoon, I was driving in downtown Denver and I saw that many businesses were boarded up in anticipation of the aftermath of today’s election. Seeing this, I was overcome by a mixture of sadness, fear, anger and despair. The idea that we, as a nation, have come to the point where we are anticipating a violent reaction to the sacred of act of voting is a powerful symbol of the dysfunction that is plaguing our society. It is clear that we are facing more than one deadly illness. Unlike COVID-19, the diseases spawned by political polarization cannot be controlled by social distancing, mask-wearing, or vaccines. We have walled ourselves off and erected barriers that keep us from connecting with one another. The distrust, demonization and rancor that is plaguing our nation could very well have a longer-lasting impact than any pandemic.

I write this message on the afternoon of November 3rd – before polling places have reported any results. Regardless of the outcome of the election, the chasm of conflicts that have led up to this day will not be bridged by electoral victories and defeats. We have a great deal of work ahead of us to heal the wounds that have festered in our country. This will require introspection, innovation and deep reflection on the part of every segment of our society. We are a divided nation. If we are to find a sense of Shalom (wholeness) and Tikkun (repair) we will need to look deep within ourselves, our souls and one another to find the holiness that God has implanted within each human being – regardless of political affiliation or partisan prognostication. My prayer is that we will work to find pathways of hope that will help us to come together – instead of inflaming the deep divides that consume us.

I pray that we will work to appreciate the promise that is implicit in the values of our nation and our Jewish tradition. To state that we are all created in the image of God is to reinforce the promises of Equality and Democracy upon which the United States of America were founded. We are well aware of our weaknesses. But let us also remember that we are fortunate to live in a country that celebrates freedom and that our greatest strength lies in our ability to live with difference and work to find compromise. May this election pave the way to a new era of understanding, hope and sacred partnership. May the barricades we have erected be torn down and replaced with bridges of understanding and collaboration.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black