I voted for Biden/Harris out of all three.

I voted out of anger at a man who was elected by Christians despite his history of assaulting women, mocking the disabled, and racist rhetoric.

I voted out of anger at a man some Christians still support, despite him separating babies from mamas, despite him sidling up to white supremacists and the Proud Boys, despite him belittling and insulting people, despite him inciting violence, despite him pal-ing it up with dictators, despite his destruction and disregard for the care of creation, despite his documentable lying, despite his reduction of protections for women and the GLBTQIA community, despite his clear desire to disenfranchise voters, despite his threat to stay in power even if he loses the election, despite his inept response to Covid, and despite their self-identification as Christians.

I voted out of anger at people reducing pro-life to a slogan referring to abortion, while neglecting to note that many abortions are to protect a mama’s life, a twin’s life, a raped girl’s life; and that under this president, refugees fleeing for their lives have been returned to certain deaths, health insurance has been taken away causing avoidable disease and death, and the number of people who have died from preventable Covid spread this year under this purported pro-life president is more than a quarter of the number of abortions of 2017, the last year on record, and the number of people infected is over nine times as many.

But I also voted out of hope.

This country has been defined by privileged whites, and is now going through the birth pangs of being defined instead by demographic that is beautiful in its diversity.

Birth is inherently painful, but inherently hopeful.

More people are politically engaged than ever, including people and groups explicitly of faith.

Incarnate faith in motion is hopeful.

I wanted Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris to be our nominee, not Joe Biden. But we have Joe, and he picked Kamala as his running mate, and so times are changing.

Change is hopeful.

Optimism expects is what is probable, hope expects what is not.

I am not optimistic that we can heal from these last several years leading up and enduring Trump. Therefore I am left to hope.

And I voted out of my faith.

My faith sides with the least of these because Jesus did just that.

My faith compels me to welcome the stranger and heal the sick and feed the hungry, because Jesus did just that.

My faith moves me to speak in indignation at those who oppress others, because Jesus did just that.

My faith thrusts me into circumstances of fear and death because I refuse to cede them power, because Jesus refused just that.

My faith, then, sent me into the courthouse to vote for Biden and Harris, whose policies, while not perfect, most closely reflect God’s agenda in the world as seen through Jesus.

Not to mention Micah, Isaiah, Amos, and pretty much the entire biblical canon.

~~~~~

Truthfully, I have at least four half-completed blogs from the last month.

I haven’t been able to finish any of them.

Not a one.

That’s due in part because of the ripple-effects of Covid’s reality on our lives, in part because of vocational deadlines claiming my attention, but mostly because I start to write and find myself so aghast, so stymied, so grieved that we are even in this place.

I have been at a loss for words.

But when I voted, I made my voice known.

I hope I spoke for the voiceless, or those with unheard voices too.

Please.

If you have not voted, do.

Speak up.

I know that neither Biden nor Harris are perfect.

But they are also neither despots nor autocrats.

They exhibit compassion, empathy, and integrity.

Good lord, do we need a return to that.

And so help us return to that as a nation.

You have the power to do so.

Just by way of a single tiny filled-in circle, you can steward your anger, harness your hope, manifest your faith, and make the world a better place.

Vote.

Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.