Election Eve: The Power To Choose

From the Deva of the United States, for whom this election is simply another aspect of the country's ongoing evolution:

There is a thick vine of grievance, entitlement, fear and aggression that winds around the tree of democracy in the US, threatening to choke the life out of it. Since it is a vine, it's essentially a parasite that feeds on the tree. Despite its smaller size relative to the tree, it can suck the life-force out of it until the tree dies.

But, there is another possibility.

The vine cannot be negotiated with, persuaded not to kill its host, or otherwise rendered ineffective. The rot at its heart will eventually cause it to wither, blacken and fall away, although whether it will kill the tree first remains to be seen.

So, what do those of us who stand for freedom and justice for all beings do now?

For my friends in the US, this question is complicated by the fact that many of you have family and friends whom you love, who have voted for that deadly vine. For you, the potential consequences of this election are dire, and marked by loss no matter who ends up in the White House.

We are not powerless. Democracy is still the tree. Nourish the soil in which it is rooted. Water it with love and care; feed it with the light of courage, hope, and acts that uphold the dignity of all beings. Begin close in, with your inner selves, with your family, your community. Find the places where social justice, care and equity are most needed and offer your gifts in whatever ways you can.

For me, today, this looks like a forensic examination and tender befriending of the places within me where vines of resentment, avoidance and attachment are strangling life, choking off vision, right action, power, sovereignty. And then, with loving purpose, uprooting them to tend to the tree that is life.