November 2016 WATERritual: Healing After the Election – WATER – Womens Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

November 2016 WATERritual

Healing After the Election

By Diann L. Neu and Mallory Naake

Listen to the audio of our November 2016 WATERritual here.

Preparation: Put a bowl of water, a towel, a candle and matches in front of you. Adapt this script according to your community’s needs.

Introduction

Welcome to our WATERritual, “Healing after the Election.” It’s hard to know what to say tonight. The most important thing is that we are here together in this welcoming space.

Many of us are proud of Hillary. We thought she would shatter the glass ceiling and become our first woman president. Instead, we are stunned by the election news: a Trump presidency shakes us to the core. What will it mean for the United States and for the world? What will happen to the social justice work that we and our movements have struggled and labored to make happen? How do we find and create hope now?

Trump’s misogyny, racism, and climate denial pose a greater threat than we’ve ever faced. It is right for us to feel whatever we are feeling today. It is okay for us to be angry, depressed, numb, and to mourn the loss of having our first women president.

The hardest thing we have to do right now is to hold on to hope, and we must do it by gathering in circles like this one and organizing to do everything we can to fight hate. We must join together like never before to continue toward justice.

Tonight, let us pray for healing in ourselves and in our country.

Naming

I am N (name) …. and I feel ….

Oh Healing River send down your waters,
send down your waters upon the land
Oh Healing River send down your waters,
and wash the blood off of the sand.

Headlines

The headlines tell the story.

“Presidential Election 2016: America’s Tragedy,” New Yorker Magazine, November 9

“‘Madam President’: An Iconic Front Page That Wasn’t to Be,” The New York Times, November 9

“Many women thought Clinton would shatter a glass ceiling, not run into a concrete wall,” Los Angeles Times, November 10

“Across divide, all eyes on Trump,” Washington Post, November 10

“Waking up to an unrecognizable world,” Washington Post, November 10

“For Trump Voters, the Elation is Mixed,” The New York Times, November 10

“A ruinous victory for the GOP,” Washington Post, November 10

“What happens after losing,” Washington Post, November 10

“Clinton and Obama Plead for Unity as Trump Gets to Work,” The New York Times, November 10

“Is America still the leader of the free world?” Washington Post, November 10

“Once a joke, a Trump presidency is now a fear materialized,” Washington Post, November 10

“World is About to Learn what Trump Believes In,” The New York Times, November 10

“In Rival Countries, Trump is Greeted with Smiles,” The New York Times, November 10

“‘Calexit’ movement says Trump win helps their calls for California to secede,” Los Angeles Times, November 9

What other headlines have you read?

Song

Oh Healing River send down your waters,
send down your waters upon the land
Oh Healing River send down your waters,
and wash the blood off of the sand.

Words of Unity

Let’s listen to the words that Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama spoke after the election.

From Hillary Clinton, November 9, 2016:

“I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power. And we don’t just respect that, we cherish it.

“It also enshrines other things: the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too. And we must defend them.

“And let me add, our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years, but all the time. So let’s do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear. Making our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top, protecting our country and protecting our planet and breaking down all the barriers that hold any American back from achieving their dreams.”

Pause

From Donald Trump, November 9, 2016:

“Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division; we have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and Independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people.”

Pause

From President Barack Obama, November 9, 2016:

“The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. And over the next few months, we are going to show that to the world… A lot of our fellow Americans are exalted today, a lot of Americans are less so, but that’s the nature of campaigns, that’s the nature of democracy. It is hard and sometimes contentious and noisy and it’s not always inspiring… That’s the way politics works sometimes. We try really hard to persuade people that we’re right and then people vote. And then if we lose, we learn from our mistakes, we do some reflection, we lick our wounds, we brush ourselves off, we get back in the arena, we go at it. We try even harder the next time.

“The point though is that we all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens, because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy. That’s how this country has moved forward for 240 years. It’s how we’ve pushed boundaries and promoted freedom around the world. That’s how we’ve expanded the rights of our founding to reach all of our citizens. It’s how we have come this far.”

Song

Oh Healing River send down your waters,
send down your waters upon the land
Oh Healing River send down your waters,
and wash the blood off of the sand.

Litany of Mourning

This election has been divisive and hurtful. It has been shrouded in fear and uncertainty. We now join together in a litany of mourning to cast out those things which are ripping us apart. After the leader reads each phrase, dip your hands in water, then flick it away repeating, “Be gone, be gone, be gone.”

. Deep division, aggression, and rancid prejudice in this country,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Obstructions in Congress,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Misogyny, bigotry, vindictiveness, intellectual laziness, and white nationalism,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Deep divides along lines of party, race, class, gender, religion, and region,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Vulgarity and mean-spiritedness,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Dark fears and angry rhetoric about the future,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Beliefs that the nation may be headed for violent conflict,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Snide remarks, sexually explicit language, sexual harassment, violence at rallies,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Attacks on the media and establishment leaders from both parties,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Walls borne out of fear and hatred,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. Racist, sexist, xenophobic, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. The fears of our children,
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

. What else would you add? Tell us.
(cleanse your hands in water, then flick it away saying)
Response: Be gone, be gone, be gone.

Song

Oh Healing River send down your waters,
send down your waters upon the land
Oh Healing River send down your waters,
and wash the blood off of the sand.

Reflection

What are you thinking and feeling now after the election?
Who are you connecting and organizing with to keep hope alive?

Prayer for Healing after the Election by Diann Neu

(Light a candle for healing, and pray.)

Holy Healer of Many Names,
Yahweh, Allah, Divine Providence,
Wisdom-Sophia, Great Spirit, Giant Tear,
May your power and grace sustain us after this election.
We need healing in our nation.
Response: In your mercy, grant us healing.

Eternal Holy One of our ancestors Sarah, Hagar, Abraham,
Mother of our daughters and our sons,
Dry our tears, surround us with community,
Keep alive within us a world where difference is valued.
Response: In your mercy, grant us healing.

Spirit of Peace,
Forgive us for our wars, wounds, hurts, misdeeds, violent acts, and
Our tendency to reduce others to the status of disposable.
Save us from further terrorism and destruction
So that children of all nations may live in peace.
Response: In your mercy, grant us healing.

Holy Wisdom of our mothers, Gaia, Kwan Yin, Brigit, and Pachamama,
Eve, Lilith, Miriam, Mary, Mary of Magdala, and Junia,
Mystics, witches, crones, saints, and uppity women,
Wake us up to resist the politics of division and hate.
Wake us up to defend all peoples.
Wake us up to bring compassion, nastiness, and new life into the coldness of empire.
Let your songs of justice and love be heard through us across the lands.
Response: In your mercy, grant us healing.

Guardian of all people,
Help us keep our eyes on the goal of democracy.
Give us courage to address the issues that have been left to fester,
And boldness to model what love and compassion look like.
In a polarized nation in desperate need of healing,
Bring people of all political parties together
That we may work for liberty and justice for all.
Response: In your mercy, grant us healing.

Holy One of Many Names,
Guide the leaders of the United States and its allies;
Soften their hearts to hear the cries of those most in need.
Strengthen them to act responsibly to bring peace and welfare to humankind
So that all may have food, housing, equity, and peace.
May our new president elect lead this nation with compassion,
and unite us beyond bigotry and hatred.
Response: In your mercy, grant us healing.

Holy Healer of Many Names,
Yahweh, Allah, Divine Providence,
Wisdom-Sophia, Great Spirit, Giant Tear,
Bring us together to bridge divides,
To work for healing and justice in our country and around the world
So that all creation may live in peace forever and ever.
Response: Amen. Blessed be. Let it be so.

Song: “Guide My Feet,” African American spiritual

Guide my feet while I run this race (3x)
For I don’t want to run this race in vain.

Hold my hand… Stand by me…

Sending Forth

(Close with sharing hugs of peace.)