Let’s find hope and keep it alive

As the Trump presidency comes to a tumultuous close, we find ourselves in a strange and unfamiliar place—one I’m prayerful we won’t embrace and become comfortable with. When our nation’s capitol is full of troops instead of inaugural celebrants, it’ll take more than rose-colored glasses to see the rainbow at the end of this storm.

As historians and researchers prepare to analyze what happened with our democratic foundations, societal mores, and fragile national unity over the course of the past four years, much of what they find will be hard to measure.

Internal strife, the rise of homegrown terrorists, race relations laid bare after repeated brutality and uneven immigration policies, espionage, vaccines, pandemics, distrust of the media—the list continues to grow—were rarely daily topics but they were smoldering under the surface like a sore that wouldn’t heal.  Now as the saying goes, the chickens have come home to roost.

The Biden-Harris administration, the nation’s most diverse and historic, has a to-do list the size of the Grand Canyon and all four oceans. What seemed doable two months ago seems daunting today despite the record turnout and intentionality voters expended to get them to the national stage.

President Biden and his team say they have a plan, thank God, to address timely rollout of the remaining vaccines and hopefully get the economy back on track because the number of people dying every day from COVID-19 is scary and devastating.

When more than 4,000 people die every day while some believe it’s a hoax and refuse to wear a mask, it is difficult to fully see the human toll on families and communities but trust me, these mothers, fathers, teachers, health care workers, and others are leaving behind some huge shoes to fill.

As we decide individually and collectively what our role will be in this new world we find ourselves in, I pray we will decide to live in peace together. We don’t have to agree on every point, but a nation divided cannot stand. That phrasing is not original to me but we see now what happens when we throw civility in the junkpile with lawlessness and disorder.

Though states have counted ballots until they’re probably ragged around the edges and haven’t found any widespread fraud and deception, let us applaud election officials for the herculean effort they made to give us fair and honest elections.

I am confident these professionals will go back to the drawing board and look at all the moving parts to ensure 2022 elections will be even more secure and transparent. We, the people, must be able to trust the sanctity of our hard-fought-for votes and keep them protected from foreign and domestic interference.

Further, as we move forward, let us work to rebuild hope. This four-letter word is powerful, transformative, and simple yet it is so critical to where we want to go and how we will get there. Hope—the place where dreams grow. Hope—the place where hearts are healed and brokenness is mended. Hope—where love, understanding, and sensibilities grow.

Hope is the place where we will live in harmony and peace. It is the peanut butter in the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and it begins in the hearts of people of good will.

Today as we begin anew, let us listen and hear our neighbors’ stories—yes, we’ve heard them a million times before, but this time try to see his heart, understand her loss, and know that together we will find hope and it will thrive.

As we begin anew, let’s be positive and hopeful. Share with me your thoughts at #drbondhopson on Twitter and Facebook.

Looking for inspiration, empowerment, uplift, straight talk, an encouraging word to brighten your day? You’ve arrived! Meet Dr. Cynthia Ann Bond Hopson, best-selling author, educator, inspirational speaker, sistergirl–she’s all that and more. Now listen to her new podcast, “Three Stores, Two Cotton Gins, One Remarkable Life: The Journey from There To Here,” and meet her favorite family and friends as they share laughter and heartwarming life lessons. Look for it on this page or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.