Four Days Out: Living Belonging in Divided Times
We can be committed to the long, hard work of widening the circle of human concern—not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived, everyday practice.
Every four years, as we near the presidential election in the United States, we brace ourselves for the divide. But what if this time, instead of bracing, we chose to build?
The Year of Belonging
Back in January, as we stared down the barrel of another presidential election year, I started the Year of Belonging book club. My goal was simple: to lean into community and hope. I wanted to glean from the work of artists and thinkers who see the world we want to build toward, and who help us find the strength to fight against the injustice we encounter.
Now, four days from the 2024 election, I still believe that healing our own wounds of belonging is crucial if we hope to heal our fractured world and our own broken relationships. With people forecasting catastrophe regardless of the outcome, it’s easy to feel anxious or defeated. But strangely, I feel a sense of calm. The lack of anxiety feels strange, especially for someone like me, who’s used to navigating it daily.
Here’s my secret: I’ve come to realize that I have no control over the outcome of this election, but I do have a lot of control over how I show up.