Liars and Deceivers

Good morning, God, and thank you for today--we have a new day to make our ways through, with many new possibilities to explore and people to meet. Life is going on and on, and we're making our ways to the end of the year and the beginning of a new year--a year that I have to say doesn't fill me with hope and enthusiasm, given the fundamental changes that we're going to see, as well as the conflict and anger and frustration that are going to become part of so many people's lives in the near future.

I have to say that I don't understand how many people can see the lies and the manipulation that our president-elect is saying and practicing, yet still support him. It's frightening. They seem to feel that anything is okay as long as it fulfills their personal agendas--to the point of electing a leader who can't be trusted. At all. Not with anything he says or anything he does. I'm incredibly disappointed that this man has been made president, and I'm very fearful of what he's going to do to the people of this country. Now more than ever, we need your help, it seems.

Of course, I can't let the fear control me or dominate my life. I have to do the best I can to make sure that within my sphere of influence, things stay as stable and reliable as possible. But it is very difficult to watch other people support wrong, and to be unable to do anything about it.

A reply:

It's going to be a difficult time for very many people. Many people will become disenfranchised, alienated, threatened, fearful, angry, hopeless. Many others will learn from the status quo that it's okay to lie, that the ends justify the means. In some cases, it will become hard to hold people to high standards of honesty and integrity when their primary model of these two qualities shows little to none of either in his life.

Your focus, though, must be on what you can do to make things more positive for yourself and for the other people in your life--your family and students and friends and acquaintances. Even for strangers whom you've never met before. Enjoy their company, help them out, model the integrity and honesty that you feel should be the norm.

And be aware. Whenever this type of change occurs, there are other changes that happen, too. More people become concerned and are willing to step out and take action on issues that before, they would have been glad to leave to someone else. More people are often willing to speak out for the good when more people are speaking out for the bad. People pull together in ways that they hadn't before, because they feel that the stakes are higher and they feel the threat of being personally affected by the negative new paradigms. There will be new groups formed and old groups will strengthen, and these groups will fight for social good, the good of all. Join them or support them.

The sun will come up again tomorrow no matter who is in which office. It's easy to say that this sounds defeatist, but it's not. It's stating a simple fact. And what you do with your life and your resources still is up to you. Have faith--in me, in yourself, in your fellow people. Things will be okay, even though there will have to be conflict in order to make sure of that. There will be hard times, and there will be times when it seems that hope is lost--don't let those times get the best of you. It really is all up to you. Hang in there, and do good. And keep the faith. The liars and the deceivers always have their downfall, and they usually bring it about themselves.