Waking this morning felt a little bit like waking on the morning of 24 June this year, although somehow different and more distant. Yet I still feel a responsibility to this world of which we are all citizens. I looked back to my blog post of 25 June 2016. My rather oblique reference to Brexit then, aware that others would share differing viewpoints, was this: ‘My concern today is that there are many people across our world, and in our own country, who for various reasons are not feeling very welcome at the moment. People are feeling unsettled, uncertain, fearful of the future and of whether they will be welcome either in a new country, or indeed in a country which has been ‘home’ for a very long time.’
Today, as I woke to the news of the result of the American elections, I felt a similar sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and a responsibility to respond, but how? Then I came across this piece of writing, penned by George, who will become my son-in-law in December. He has given me permission to share it here. He writes:
And Love…
Today people will go to work and children will go to school
And love will still be possible.
Today dinners will be cooked and cars will be driven
And love will still be possible.
Today ice caps will melt and wars will be fought
And love will still be possible.
Today people will be born and people will die
And love will still be possible.
Today corporations will evade taxes and families will be evicted
And love will still be possible.
Today cancer will exist and terrorists will plot
And love will still be possible.
Today rape will take place and children will be abused
And love will still be possible.
Today Clinton will lose and Trump will win
And love will still be possible.
For true love comes with scars on its hands and says,
‘Love will still be possible’
(George Trevor White, 9 November 2016, used with permission)
