Reflections on Inauguration Day 2021
It’s official. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are now our president and vice president.
I always try to watch the Inauguration ceremony, whether or not the incoming president is one I supported (and for the last two inaugurations, they have not been ones I supported). But I still love watching the ceremony. Every time, I am moved by the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
A peaceful transfer of power every four years is truly something special when you consider the history of our world — and many nations today. It was even more special this time, in light of the events of the past two weeks, including the unprecedented domestic attack on our nation's Capitol, which was an attempt to stop that very transfer from taking place.
I Used to Take This for Granted
Watching today's ceremony, I was reminded that we can never take American freedoms and traditions for granted. As Sen. Roy Blunt (R) noted during the Inauguration ceremony, "a government to balance and check itself, is both fragile and resilient." This echoes Benjamin Franklin's famous response to a woman who asked what kind of government they had created: "A republic, if you can keep it."
We can keep our republic, but it takes We the People — to whom this republic belongs — doing our part. Even after Election Day and Inauguration Day are over, even if you don't like the current president, there is so much we can do.
We can continue political advocacy on behalf of the values we hold dear.
We can do this at national, state, and local levels. The local level is often neglected, though healthy local activism is fundamental to a thriving society.
Beyond politics, we can look to the health of our neighbors in our local communities, supporting the amazing work of churches, non-profits, and private citizens to tackle the pressing issues facing so many people all around us.
Importantly, we can do all this without the malice, derision, and hatred that have unfortunately come to mark our national conversations in recent years. We can disagree without dissolving our union. And though I disagree with President Biden politically and am wary of some of his administration’s intentions, I affirm his call today for unity as Americans — one nation, under God.
Team USA
Tish Harrison Warren, a priest and author I respect, tweeted, “The understanding that we are all part of a team—even as we deeply disagree—and that [democracy] is bigger than us as individuals is critical.”
As we move forward, I pray Americans recover that sense of teamwork. No, we don’t all share the same views. We may even work to oppose each other’s political goals. But at the end of the day, we know it is our shared commitment to work for a “more perfect union” and remain involved in the civic process that is vital to the success of this nation we all share.
God bless America, and the incoming administration.
For ideas on staying culturally and politically engaged after Election Day (and now Inauguration Day), see my article for Intersect published last November: Beyond Voting: Staying Culturally Engaged After the Election.
Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash
