Dance When You're Broken Open

Why we lost, and what to do right now (hint: not much, not yet)

Nov 06, 2024

The critiques and analysis and blaming have started. Here's my macro take on why Donald Trump won re-election, as deranged and damaged and hateful as he is next to Kamala Harris’ cool and joyful competence.

Some of my friends are saying "What will we tell our children and grandchildren when they are learning this history?" We’ll tell them, “At the time, half of the country was initiated into a death cult. That half thought God was white, male, powerful, and violent, and they wanted to be like God.”

The other thing in major play here besides racism and sexism is the very primal urge to scapegoat. Scapegoating usually happens to the most vulnerable or the most responsible person in the system (ask me how I know? answer: because I'm a pastor! and a woman pastor at that).

I don't know how soon (positive) systemic shifts will happen. We are probably in for a decade or more of suffering and resistance, but since the death cult will now control all three branches of government, I do think there will be some key opportunities both for them to do real harm AND also to be held responsible for that harm, maybe in real time. Then again, the death cult initiates may decide to keep scapegoating the most vulnerable people in the family system of our nation.

Despite all this, I really do believe "God has got this" in the grandest sense (at least the Everything God I believe, who *is* white male and powerful, and has done violence but regretted it, cf. Genesis 9, and who is also female and nonbinary and queer and disabled and vulnerable). God lives in all times and already knew this was going to happen. God will not leave us comfortless, and God will help us resist.

I believe in God and I believe in God with skin on: YOU. 49% of us will grieve and rage and then carry on. We will galvanize our little metal splinters of shiny hope into a huge hope machine again. We we help each other, we will share, put our privilege and strength and wealth into the service of others. We will welcome to the fold anyone who is ready to leave the cult, and hand them some tools to get to work.

I don't know what the strategy is yet because I'm not a strategist. I'm a good rank-and-file member of the resistance, and when someone else figures it out, I'll participate fully. Anyhow, today is not for strategies.

Today is for feeling what we're feeling, and tending these sweet bodies so they can keep going. Hot tea with honey, snuggling with people and pets, and calm or frenzied dancing.

I had bought a sparkly disco ball-styled squishy ball the size of a kickball to maybe bat around at the dance party. Only about 12 of us were around by the bitter end, and it was enough. We (male and female, queer and straight, older and younger, Black and Asian and white) just organically formed a circle on the chancel, and batted that ridiculous squishy ball around for a very long time, and leaped and breathed and giggled at each other. It was such a dumb thing to do, to stand in a circle and giggle and leap and bat a squishy sparkle ball around while the world was ending; and it was also the only thing to do, the holiest thing to do.

See below for the song that ended our Election Night Watch Party dance finish at church last night.

When in doubt, dance it out.

RESILIENT, Rising Appalachia

I am resilient

I trust the movement

I negate the chaos

Uplift the negative

I'll show up at the table, again and again and again

I'll close my mouth and learn to listen

These times are poignant

The winds have shifted

It's all we can do

To stay uplifted

Pipelines through backyards

Wolves howlin out front

Yeah, I got my crew but truth is what I want

Realigned and on point

Power to the peaceful

Prayers to the waters

Women at the center

All vessels open to give and receive

Let's see the system brought down to it's knees

I'm made of thunder

I'm made of lightning

I'm made of dirt (yeah)

Made of the fine things

My father taught me that I'm a speck of dust

And this world was made for me

So let's go and try our luck

I got my roots down, down, down, down

Down, down, down, down, down, deep

I got my roots down, down, down, down

Down, down, down, down, down, deep

So what are we doing here? What has been done?

What are you gonna do about it when the world comes undone?

My voice feels tiny and I'm sure so does yours

But put us all together we make a mighty roar