Today We Celebate; Tomorrow We Work

 The nation has spoken; the people have voted, and we have elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to be our next President and Vice President of the United States. I do not think I realized how much I had been holding my breath until I heard the news that Pennsylvania had been called for the Biden-Harris ticket and, with that, the election. As my niece Rachaelp ut it, it was like I had been holding my breath for the past four years and I could finally exhale in relief.

I arrived in the Washington DC area on Tuesday, election night, wanting to be in the room where it happened, as the song goes. Like many of you, I spent Tuesday evening on tenterhooks; when I went to bed, it was with a sense of dismay and concern that our country--or at least half of it--hadn’t learned the lessons the past four years have cruelly taught: that hate is wrong, that denial is only a river in Egypt, that fear and divisiveness are the antitheses of democracy.

I went to bed not knowing the outcome of the presidential election and when I awoke on Wednesday, I laid there in bed, eyes still closed, thinking, He could have won; he could have been re-elected. What will it mean for me, for All Souls, if that is true?
I thought back to this time in 2016; the shock and fear and sense of grief that was so palpable.

And yet we have survived, barely, it may seem, the past four years. We have had a taste of the helplessness and alienation marginalized communities have always felt; we have had a taste of what it feels like to be shut out of the democratic process that is the hallmark of American life.

Rubi and me after our interview by Swedish station

Of course, when I opened my eyes and turned on my laptop I discovered there was not yet a clear winner in the presidential election, although the odds had shifted overnight and I was able to allow a tiny sense of hope that all might yet be well in the world.

Thursday, I headed over to Washington, DC, wanting to get a sense of what was happening in our nation’s capital. As I wandered the National Mall, I was stopped by a film crew from the Canadian Broadcasting Company. They interviewed me about my hopes for this election. Later, I went to Black Lives Matter Plaza outside the White House where I was also interviewed by a Swedish and Italian station. Someone sent me the link to the Swedish interview.  The video at the top has several quotes from me, and later, under my picture, the interviewer made a few more comments.

Still not knowing the outcomes of the election, I set up camp in a beautiful state park outside of Alexandria, VA. There, Wham! began to adapt to his New Life as an Adventure Cat! (more on this in a later post!)

This morning I broke camp and was just pulling out of the campground to head back to DC so that I could scout potential places for preaching when I got the news: Pennsylvania had been called for Biden; Joe Biden was the president-elect!

As in 2016, tears came to my eyes when I heard the news, but this time they were tears of joy!

I arrived in Washington, DC less than 30 minutes after the announcement; it was an amazing sight: even as I was looking for parking, people were running towards the White House, holding homemade signs

declaring TRUMP: YOU’RE FIRED! as well as official placards for Biden-Harris. The closer I got to the White House, the more people filled the streets, streaming in a spontaneous movement that was a parade, rally, and dance the party rolled into one. I found a spot and joined the throng. The excitement and joy in the air were palpable.

I let out my breath. I was alternately laughing and crying, and sometimes doing both at the same time. I made my way to Black Lives Matter Plaza, joining thousands of people crowding on all sides of the White House to celebrate. I began to Livestream the festivities on Facebook, my running commentary interspersed with whoops of joy and celebration. WE DID IT! WE DID IT! I kept
shouting.

Soon, though there were too many people in the area and my internet connection became unstable. Still I hung out, celebrating with thousands of others, watching with delight as people shook champagne bottles and then uncorked them, sending a festive spray of bubbly over the cheering crowds.

Once I finally left Black Lives Matter Plaza, I was able to live stream again, this time, the scene was of the streets near the White House packed with people in cars, honking and celebrating and cheering with us.

I walked toward the Washington Monument, where still more people gathered. Here I was interviewed by a Chinese station. The interviewer asked if I had been thinking of any family members when I cast my vote. You can hear what I told her in this finallive stream.

Finally, I made my way back to my car; my cell phone had died, due to all the live streaming and I wasn’t quite sure where I parked my car, but I remembered I was by the Human Rights Campaign office and asked a friendly transit worker to look up the address for me.

I got in my car just in time for our weekly Sunday service run through; I was so hoarse; I could barely speak.

Later this evening, in my modest hotel room, I popped open a tiny bottle of bubbly that I had spontaneously bought on my way back to my car. There, in the quiet of the room, far removed from the crowds still celebrating in DC, I shared a simple toast with my reflection in the mirror.

We are not out of the woods, yet; there is still much work to be done in the healing of our nation, but this is a start. Today we celebrate, tomorrow we get to work.