Finding Hope and Joy in Small Places

Last week, I was invited to share with a group of senior citizens my thoughts about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and about elections in our hometown. I didn’t know what I was stepping in to, but I went, as the person who asked me to come, a former colleague, was someone I admire deeply. Because I trusted her, I trusted these people, though just barely.

Ninety minutes later, I left the group feeling more hopeful about the state of American politics—and about my hometown—than I had in quite a while.

Fear of the Unknown

Here’s something you should know about my small town: the largest institutions are the university where I teach, and a retirement community, both founded by Evangelical Friends. Although the retirement community is ecumenical, I assumed its population was predominantly conservative, predominantly evangelical, and predominantly hostile (at least ideologically) to someone like me.

Hence, the trepidation I felt. Why did they want to know about Harris and Walz? Why did they want my perspective on local elections, the challenges facing our school board, the toxic nature of our community social media boards?

To be honest, I almost didn’t go. It was the first week of school, and an aging family member needed care, as did my infant grandson. Plus, I had a new puppy at home, no doubt ripping furniture to shreds. But when Dr. Murphy invites me to do something, I will do it. No questions asked.

Or at least not many.

Turns out, I was the one who needed instruction. And boy did I receive that, in spades. In the first few minutes there, I learned my assumptions about the large evangelical retirement center are not exactly right, and that a good many residents share my progressive political perspective—a perspective based on their own ardent faith.

Even more significantly, I learned that these folks have done their research about candidates, and know how to organize politically. They might not be savvy on social media, but that hardly matters, given how toxic social media is, how little is accomplished by sick burns ignited through AI-generated memes.

Hope in Action

Instead, they are using tools that have worked for generations, sharpened by new technology and wielded by folks who are passionate about electing people who will love God by loving others.

Initially, it was one woman’s campaign buttons that started to put me at ease. One of the buttons simply said “Kamala,” and another implored others to be kind, a definite conversation starter for a cultural ethos that puts a premium on incivility.

This same woman had just hosted a postcard writing party one night earlier, using a program called Blue Wave Postcards to encourage voters in swing states to turn in their ballots. Forty seniors showed up for that event, and more are planned in the future. Her organizing skills inspired me to think about how I might also organize my friends to encourage folks to vote, and I’m grateful for her model of tenacity and creativity, as well as her faith in the democratic process.

Hope and Joy Overcome Fear

Over the last election cycle, I have anxiously watched media for signs of hope in a better, more civil future where all people can thrive. I constantly consult polls, worried by a one point swing away from my candidates’ advantage. My heart sinks when I see disinformation slurring those I want to win, using verifiable lies to stoke fear in a nation. I sometimes despair that anything will be made right in my lifetime.

Last week’s event at the home of a senior citizen reminded me that there is hope and joy in small things. This includes a group of senior citizens, passionate about changing the world because they recognize that we are all image-bearers of our Creator, and that we need a government for all people, not just those with power and privilege.

They also reminded me that we have work to do, and that hope must be accompanied by action. Praying with our feet, in the words of Civil Rights Activist Rabbi Heschel. I’m ready to begin this kind of prayer, joining other joyful warriors in creating a more hope-filled world.