a letter to my post election apocalyptic friends

Today is November 11th...day 3 after America voted Donald J. Trump to be the 45th president of the United States of America.

1/2 of America seems to be imploding right before our eyes. There are riots in the streets, calls to arm yourself, people so angry they want to break ties with friends and family members who disagree with their Presidential choice.

I asked a girl who said she was "afraid"..., the phrase Ive heard repeatedly these last three days to take me down the rabbit hole terrain of her brain....what exactly was her fear of? What was her #1 concern?

This was her response that I believe is the sentiment of many who feel defeated post election:

"My fear is we will go back to a time when people were hung because of the color of their skin. People will be called derogatory names because of their skin color, gender, sexual preference, weight, etc. My fears are human rights and what will happen to them.

She believes that white people will want to hang other people not white. Now what led her to believe that? What did Donald Trump say that would lead her to come to that conclusion? I know he has said some awfully dumb and cringeworthy things, but never have I been led to the conclusion that lynching was in our countries future as a result of his rhetoric.

So here's what I want to say to you, my liberal friends who I love and value....and all liberal ideological US citizens  who  come in a display of different skin tones, gender, "sexual preferences", weight...etc: I am for you. Ideologically my worldview is fundamentally based on the life and Word of God which guides and instructs me to proclaim healing,  wholeness &  soulful peace for every single one of you. What is fundamentally clear to me during an election season and what what creates multiple fractures in our nation is what the prescription for our healing and wholeness is. With a general stroke, democratic leadership means progress an peace in your world.  To a Republican conservative, Republican leadership means progress and peace in our world. To a christian, neither leadership equates to peace because the believer understands that all leaders are fallen and sinful humans in Adam. We already have a King and leader and no flawed earthly party leadership can steal our peace.  I am equally abhorred by  derogatory comments about others as you are. And I believe you may be blind to your own hypocrisy when you approve of hateful rhetoric as long as its aimed towards the "other side".

 My faith and foundation on truth allows me to see every single human being as valuable; made in the image of God...even when their character doesn't reflect that...I know there is a redeemable image bearer beneath the flawed surface. I don't agree with Hillary Clinton when she says Trump supporters are irredeemable deplorables. I'm well aware  we all have a capacity to be deplorable, yet I have hope and knowledge that we are in fact redeemable.  Every single person is broken and in need of healing....every.single.one. This brokenness is caused by a life lived in Adam with the torch being passed through the ages by our own sinful desires and life lived sharing a planet with other sinners.  I am for restoration of you...I want you to do well...to grow in character and strength...to persevere, to win...to have hope.

Here's the good news: I am not alone. There are more redeemed ex-deplorables like me who are for you...and they also voted for the Republican party. Does I mean to conclude that the republican party is without blemish? absolutely not..does it mean I believe all republican voters are not deplorable racists who are capable of ugliness? Not at all. I am not oblivious to the reality that people are awful, say awful things, do awful things. But I know a lot of Republicans...and none of them are like this...in fact they are the opposite of this. It might help you to be reminded that the abolition of slavery was started by white christian men...and that the republican party was the party to abolish  slavery., while in fact the Democratic party oposed it.

We are not your enemy, we are for you...even if we don't agree on almost every ideological argument and policy...we see caving in to fleshly desires as enabling and unhealthy for everyone, especially you... and hurting our nation we share with you as a whole. So please don't take everything so personally. The majority of the "right" does not want to lynch you....in fact in my nine years of conversing regularly with multitudes of conservative ideologists, this has never been a topic ...never, not once.

My husband a few years ago was out with some friends and a guy he was acquainted with (not a believer)  said a derogatory name to describe black people. My husband pulled him aside and said "Im honestly really shocked and surprised to hear you say something so awful, I think you're better than that". He had a long conversation with this man who eventually confessed he was embarrassed  and ashamed at what he'd said...my husband held him accountable for his words....and he knew he was wrong. This is what we are called to do...to speak to each other in love and truth. To provide rebuke to those we love to bring them to wholeness. When I disagree ith you on the validity of gay marriage and transgender topics, i am doing the same for the LGBTQ community that I am doing for a fellow conservative who says something racist...I rebuke. And its not because I hate them, its because I care enough to tell you the truth to bring healing and wholeness to your life.

The level of fear and anxiety I've watched unfold over an elected official in an American government designed brilliantly with checks and balances drives me more to understand why God tells us to not worship idols. We have made idols of our leaders, putting too much faith and trust and hope in them.