Fear tactics and election

FORUM FILE PHOTO
REV. JONATHAN MITCHELL Formerly of the First Presbyterian Church

EDITOR’S NOTE: This column originally ran in The Forum on Aug. 5, 2016.

Election Day is approaching fast and emotions are running high.

Log onto any news web-site or watch the news on TV, and a person can feel the ramped up energy. The most basic emotion for humans is fear. And politicians from all parties are using fear to move voters into their camp.

Candidates name vague threats at home and abroad, hoping to get our adrenaline pumping so that we will see the world from their point of view. Donald Trump does this. Hillary Clinton does this. Candidates for lo-cal office across the nation do this. Using fear as an election strategy is not new. Political candidates have been doing this for years.

Enough already. Courage is the opposite of fear. And those seeking office also use courage as a tactic to attract votes. Candidates name things that cause fear, and then provide examples of their courage. They slickly demonstrate how courageously they have battled things that stir terror in our hearts. It has become pathetically predictable.

Of course, courage should be honored and respected. Those who face risk and danger with strength, fortitude, and steadfastness are worthy of note. And courage comes in various forms.

Some people show courage in the face of physical danger.

Other people show courage in the face of injustice. They stand up for others while putting their own safety and reputation on the line. I suppose if you show this kind of bravery, some bragging rights are due.

Pondering the election cycle, fear, courage, and the current state of our society are mind boggling. It is difficult to determine how to solve real problems with effective solutions. It is difficult to know what we should actually fear and how to move forward with courage.

I have come to the conclusion that the way to begin this process is with love.

At first, this sounds like a wishy-washy, pie-in-the-sky solution. But think about it. It would certainly be better to love folks who are different than us than to be afraid of them. We may discover that we have more in common than we thought. We may discover that the people we fear share some of our opinions and ideas. We may find that Democrats and Republicans can actually work together and agree on a few things.

That would be refresh-ing. We may discover new and exciting ways forward that work for everyone.

Yes, that would be great. But this is hard work. It is not easy to love the “other” who appears to have little in common with us. Loving someone is risky. They might not love us back. They may spite us for the effort. They may exploit our vulnerability. They may use the situation to cause us harm.

Loving the “other” is one of the most courageous things we can do.

Love is hard work. It requires strength, fortitude, and steadfastness in circumstances that are difficult or even dangerous.

Love takes courage. Thankfully, we are not alone in this process.

Jesus’ final words to his disciples in Matthew are, “I am with you always, to the very end.”

Jesus’ words are God’s promise to be with us as we summon courage to love others.

The promise is for Republicans, Democrats, everybody.