Last Night

A reflection on the 2016 election results.

Dear Friends,

I know the results of last night’s election caused a whole host of emotions throughout our communities, from shock and disgust to relief and joy, and everything in between. Whatever side you were rooting for – or no side at all –it is clear that we are in an “epochal shift,” as Pope Francis has said called it.

Politics certainly shapes the context we are in, and we have to be engaged with it. It provides a reason for us to dialogue with others, and a way to try and effect positive change in society. But our hope cannot be in one group or another achieving power in history. We can have hope because each of us has become part of the history of salvation, which is ultimately summed up in the word “Mercy.”

2000 years ago, Palestine was a small colony of the massive Roman Empire. For observers of the time, the Empire’s political fortunes seemed like the most significant facts to pay attention to. Most people had no idea that the most earthshaking event – the appearance of an itinerant preacher from Nazareth – was taking place right in their midst. Only a few people took notice, but out of those few people, something tremendous was born.

So last night has made me want to take my vocation as a witness to Mercy in this world more seriously, among my family, my friends, my students, my co-workers. On my own, though, I’ll be a miserable failure, since I know myself pretty well. So I hope you can help me, since Christ has joined us together as companions in this unique moment in history, in this unique place in the world, in this unique charism. And we’ve got good models in Fr. Giussani, Fr. Carrón and Pope Francis. We just need to be creative and follow their lead.

Damian, California, USA