Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Aftermath of the Election: What Do We Do Now?

Aftermath of the Election: What Do We Do Now?

Last updated on: November 11, 2016 at 7:35 pm by Mary Pezzulo

Aftermath of the Election: What Do We Do Now? 2016-11-11T19:35:16-04:00 Mary Pezzulo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

question-1500082_1920

I didn’t watch the Returns last night.

I watched an old video of Bob Ross with my daughter, and then I went for a walk in the rain.

I went to bed, and had nightmares.

I woke up, and here we are.

I did not like either candidate very much. I like this result least. Instead of the woman who believes the unborn aren’t human, we elected a president who hasn’t demonstrated that he believes anyone but himself is human. Instead of the woman roughly half of whose ideas I thought were poison, we get the man who had no “ideas” at all except xenophobia. The one who gives me as a rape survivor nightmares and flashbacks. And before anyone tries to chide me, I was against Bill Clinton too, but I would rather the dirty old man in the Lincoln Bedroom than the Oval Office. And for all of you dupes who thought he’d be pro-life now that he’s used you and won: he’ll go back to being pro-abortion as he always was. And I believe we’re in for a rough four years. I may be proven to be wrong. I hope I am.

So, what do we do now?

We do what we’re always supposed to do, but we so often neglect. We fight for justice through the work of mercy. We do everything we can to help our neighbor–our poor neighbor, our black neighbor, our refugee neighbor, our female neighbor, our Muslim neighbor, our gay neighbor, our neighbor who hates us, or any other neighbor we have– with anything that they need for their physical, spiritual or emotional well-being, and we remember to respect their rights and autonomy as we do so. We give of ourselves until there’s nothing left. We cry out against injustice whenever we see it, no matter the consequences, and we refuse to look away no matter who is being dehumanized. If we see a brother or sister in the Church erroneously promoting an injustice that should be condemned because the right cultural hero committed it, we speak out against them too. We harbor those who have nowhere to hide. We render unto Cesar what is Cesar’s, but we must absolutely disobey Cesar when he asks for the pinch of incense that belongs to the Lord. And we do this concerning the laws of the Church we like, and also those inconvenient ones we’d like to explain away. The ones that appeal to the Right and the ones that appeal to the Left. Because the Church has never been to the Right or to the Left, and we have plenty of enemies on both sides (cf Isa 30: 21).

And I will do this.

I can’t do much on my own, but here I am, a poor sinner, resolving to do what is mine to do, with the help of God. no matter what is demanded of me. And I’m resolving in public because I want everyone reading this to do the same.

If anyone witnesses a grave injustice that needs to be protested and made public fast– well, here I am. I have a blog, and for some reason people read it. Tell me about it and I’ll do what I can to get the word out. But you have to work to get the word out too. If anyone is organizing a project to help the people who are going to suffer most from this– here I am. I’ll do what I can, and I’ll try to connect you with people who can help more than I. But you have to help too. On the off-chance that anyone reading this is in danger here in the Ohio Valley and needs help– I’ve got a sofa and there’s a good strong lock on the door. I’ll do what I can. But everyone else has to help too. Wherever you are, be ready to be a refuge for your neighbor.

This was never going to be easy. Our kingdom was never of this world.

We seem to be entering upon interesting times.

We have to live in interesting times. Live. Live the work of the Gospel until it kills us.

It was the only death worth living anyway.

(image via Pixabay)

mourn with those mourn

preferential option for non-violence

president

presidential election

pro-life

Public face of Catholicism

Previous Post

November 8, 2016

Bishop Zurek Denounces Anti-Catholic Witness of Pavone

Next Post

November 9, 2016 Donald Trump Removes "Pro-Life" From His Policies 12 Hours After Election [UPDATED]

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Abuse Advent America American Christianity angel angels Annunciation Appalachia apparition apparition chaser apparition chasers apparition culture art art review babies baby baby Jesus Bad Lip Reading bad statue contest bath beauty Bible story blog blogkeeping blood book review Brandon Sanderson breastfeeding bus Catholic catholic conspiracy alarmism Catholic Oppositional Disorder Charismatic Renewal Charlie the Cat chastity Christ Christian idenitity Christianity and Judaism Chronic Illness clean clothing COD piece comedy compassion conscience conspiracy theory conversion cop-on-black violence Crucifixion cry of the poor culture Daesh Daily Saints death death penalty devotional diaconate diaper diapers dirty disability Donald Trump Dorothy Day dream drugs Eastern Catholicism Eastern Christianity education election election update Elsewhere on Patheos empathy environment Fear feminism film review fish flashback fluffy buns food Franciscan University of Steubenville Friendship Room fun Gabriel gardening gospel hair-splitting Heaven hell heresy Hillary Clinton history Holly the Witch Holy Spirit holy war Homeschooling homosexuality horror human dignity humor Icon idol immigrants infection inter-religious dialogue Interpretation of Scripture Islam Jesus Jihad Joseph joy laity and lay vocations lamb dinner laundry lent lgbtq literature love manners Mary Medicine and Science Meditation mercy mess milk misogyny Missouri monasticism monster motherhood mourn with those mourn movies movis music mystery nature neurodiversity New Pro-Life Movement news nonsense nostalgia O antiphons obituary objectification Ohio Valley Ordinary Time ordination Ordo Amoris parable paradox Passover peanut butter personal beliefs pets philosophy Planet Charismatic poetry politics polls poop Pope Francis Pope Leo power in the Church prayer prayer request prayers preferential option for non-violence president presidential election priest primary private revelation pro-life prophecy Public face of Catholicism Pure Flix Q and A race racism random rape rape. sexuality reader's request Reckoners refugee religious trauma ressurrection Right to life Saints saints and celebrations same-sex same-sex marriage satire scandal secular feasts seder Seven Joys Seven Last Words sex sexual ethics sexuality silencing six months skid row slavery social justice Speculative fiction spiritual abuse spoon stain story suffering suffrage suffragette Sunday Gospel temple Tenebrae Responsories Terror the exorcist The Friendship Room The New Pro-Life Movement Things I Learned on the Internet tin cup traffic true story tv review Uncategorized USCCB vice and temptation violence Virtue virtue and vice war Way of the Cross whimsy whole life women's ordination work of mercy Year A

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Rabboni" mean, as Mary Magdalene called Jesus after the resurrection?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Savior Messenger Shepherd Teacher