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The Election: Is This Palpable Excitement or Abject Terror?

The Election: Is This Palpable Excitement or Abject Terror?

Last updated on: October 4, 2024 at 10:00 am by Robert Cottrell

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The Election: Is This Palpable Excitement or Abject Terror? 2024-09-30T13:48:02-05:00 Robert Cottrell

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As we are just a month away from a truly critical, historic election, I’m struck by a deep, swirling feeling. Is it incredible excitement or is it overwhelming fear. Why are these two emotions so intertwined as we gaze ahead?

On one hand, we hold this wonderful hope — that maybe we’ll see the arc of justice bend a bit more. Maybe this election will be the one where love wins over hate, inclusion over division, and we finally begin to dismantle systems that have marginalized so many for so long. We see candidates speak of human dignity, the beauty of diversity, healthcare as a right, equality, and justice. We’re excited by their promise, by the possibility of real change, by the chance to create a world that looks more like the one we dream of in our hearts. The one we dream of for our children.

But that excitement is tempered, isn’t it? Tempered by a quiet — or maybe not so quiet — dread. Because for every movement toward love and liberation, there are forces pushing back. There are loud, hateful voices shouting that our hopes are unrealistic, that our compassion is weakness, that the systems of oppression we are trying to dismantle are somehow justified or necessary. And to be completely direct, they may INDEED be necessary to maintain their power, control and wealth!

Fear seeps in when we consider what happens if the election doesn’t go the way we hope. What if the voices of hate, greed, bigotry, fear, racism, and queerphobia gain power? What if the progress we’ve fought so hard for gets rolled back? What if the door we thought was opening to greater freedom slams shut? This fear, this anxiety, is real. It’s valid. It comes from the deep knowledge that elections aren’t just about policies, but about people’s lives — our lives, our children’s lives, and the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

So, what do we do with this? How do we hold the tension between hope and fear, excitement and dread? How do we keep our hearts open to possibility without being crushed by the weight of uncertainty?

Here’s what I believe: we need to lean into the excitement. Fear can be paralyzing, but excitement can propel us forward. It can ignite our creativity, inspire us to act, and remind us of the beautiful possibilities ahead. Yes, the stakes are high — they usually are. But let’s remember that change never comes easily. Every bit of progress, every victory, has been hard-won by people who dared to imagine a better world, even in the face of daunting obstacles.

In this moment, we get to choose what we focus on. Will we allow fear to silence us? Or will we allow excitement to push us to keep showing up, keep fighting, keep believing that inclusive love will win out?

Beloved, if we focus on the excitement, we are reminded that we’re not alone in this fight. All around us, people are working tirelessly to make this world more just, more compassionate, more inclusive. And when we join together — united in our excitement, rather than divided by our fear — we become unstoppable.

This election is important, yes. It will determine the future of our country, and it will either move us forward or pull us way back. But we are more than just one election. We are a movement. We are a people. And that should always give us incredible hope.

So, what is this feeling? It’s both excitement AND fear. But I choose to focus on the excitement — because love, hope, and justice are worth fighting for. Always.

We don’t have to let fear consume us. We can acknowledge it, but not let it lead. Instead, let’s rise with hearts wide open, ready to build what we’ve always known was possible.

Let love lead the way.

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