Good Grief and Good News

“Elections are not the end of the world,” so proclaimed the Rev. Reneé Windsor-White to the congregation at First Christian Church in the heart of Eugene on the Sunday after the Nov. 5 election that to many felt like the end of the world.

And no wonder, never has there been a candidate who has shown such disregard for truth, disdain for the rule of law, admiration of dictators and the willingness to unleash a mob on Congress to overturn a free and fair election. And that’s not to mention his lewd comments, sexual abuse and felonies.

That a majority of voters would choose such a person to lead our country is incredibly discouraging.

But choose they did and we have to now live with that reality. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduced us to the five stages of grief in 1969. They seem particularly apropos today.

First came denial as the election results came in. Then depression when the results became undeniable. That was followed by anger, maybe at voters on the winning side or maybe at the decisions made or not made by those on the losing side. Bargaining with God is a stage which is understandable in matters of life and death, but not as helpful for changing election results. Finally comes acceptance, hard as it may be, but necessary to deal with grief.

Here is what I can accept. Donald Trump won and now he and his supporters get the opportunity to show that they can deliver on their promises to the country. They earned that chance. But acceptance does not mean going along with violations of basic human decency, civil rights and principles of democracy.

And this means, as Windsor-White said in her sermon, that we are going to have to work harder than ever before.

Trump’s enablers have assured us that his more outlandish statements were simply campaign rhetoric and that he isn’t a threat to democracy. His cabinet picks, however, are far from reassuring, and his original pick for attorney general not only suggests that he will do exactly what he said he would do, it also makes a mockery of the Christian values he claims to hold.

For progressives who believe in the values of democracy, this will be a challenging time. For those who understand that climate change is real, there will be significant setbacks. For the undocumented and the trans community who live in fear for their safety, know you are not alone. For women who cannot find the critical health care they need in their home state, build alliances with those who care.

For all who are discouraged, know that this too will pass. When Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us that the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice, he of all people knew that the road was hard and filled with pain. On the night before his assassination, he told us that he had been to the mountain top and had seen the other side. And so with confidence he could say, “I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!”

I do not know what trials await us or what calamity we must endure, but the Good News is still the same. Whatever the suffering ahead, light will always shine in the darkness. Love will always be stronger than hate. Justice will win in the end.

How can I be so sure? Because I have faith in the people who will accept no less.

Dan Bryant is an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and a resident of Eugene since 1991. The opinions of this article are his own and do not represent any organization with which he is affiliated.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!