Healing After the Election
The all-church theme for November is Healing. As I write this, the results of the 2020 election are not yet final. No matter the result, the division in our nation and our families will continue even if no matter who wins the Oval Office. There will be healing needed after this political season, but how do we model this for our children when it seems our society and politicians are locked in never ending conflict?
Our faith reminds us that healing takes work, that conflict is a part of life, and it’s the intentional actions we take afterwards that can heal our relationships. If the election has caused divisions with your children's friendship circles or in your family, begin modeling how to heal by saying, "After a fight with someone, it’s easy to never want to see that person again. We’d rather ignore or run away from the mess. But there are steps we can take to try to become friends again"
Our children's Soul Matters curriculum reminds us of the steps to take when repairing a relationship:
Reach out – Let your friend know that you want to talk and work things out
Make a time to talk – When you’re both ready and calm, set a time to talk
Keep calm – Talk in a calm, quiet voice. Take a break if things get heated
Be present – Make eye contact, avoid interrupting and distractions
Talk about your feelings – Use “I” statements and be specific
Be open – Let your friend share their feelings and thoughts
Apologize – Say you’re sorry for your role or actions during the fight
Fix things together – Figure out how to stop this from happening again
Be patient – It may take time for things to go back to normal
Celebrate – If you’re able to work things out, celebrate by having fun!
The next few days or maybe even weeks will certainly strain relationships all across our country. By teaching our children now how to repair broken relationships we will not only be giving them healthy life skills they'll need in the future, but hopefully ways to prevent the deep division in our nation from happening again.