LASTING Through Adversity

Four years ago, I was an intern minister at the ORUCC. On November 8, 2020, right after the national election, I addressed this congregation with a sermon called “Our National Temptation in the Dark Woods.” The ‘dark woods’ symbolize the societal challenges and moral dilemmas we were facing at that time. I said:  
“Of course, there are some standard ministerial things to say at a moment like this. A good minister would remind everyone that feelings can be hurt when you gloat. There are always two sides to any story. Compromise means no one is too badly damaged because everyone loses a little bit for the common good. Now is a time to heal wounds of divisiveness and rancor and come together as an American family.”

It was a heady time when many of us felt that we had dodged a bullet and might finally be free from the rancor and vitriol of the previous administration. About that administration and what we ended up with by 2020, I said:
“We accepted a president who operates from his basest instincts and feelings. For the first time in our existence, the GOP became a party that embodied the ego of one man and reflected that fact in their national platform. It was a platform of violated human rights, the celebration of white supremacy, and disregard for the health and well-being of the planet and all the creatures on it…

The myth of American’ Exceptionalism’ was the siren song of Trump. Its melody was hatred, and its lyrics were lies. Our seduction to its temptation took us on a spiraling circle to the basement of our weakened and now crumbled democracy. Our seduction flew on the wings of greed, xenophobia, racial and ethnic animus, homophobia, sexism, intolerance, religious cowardice, and hatred of the ‘other’. We feasted on lies, cruelty, indifference, and supremacy. We were lost. We are lost…”

I was taught you never leave a congregation without hope at the end of your sermon! So, quite dutifully, I did that at the end of my “Dark Woods” sermon. I wrote:

“We have proven we can endure the despots, racist administrations, and government by insults because we are good and decent people. We’ve earned a reprieve by electing Biden and Harris, but we still have a long way to go. We can’t sit still! But through all this, we’ve learned we are stronger than the temptations that seek to define us. We need to get out of the dark woods, but we are Americans. So borrowing words from some pretty awesome people on an airplane... ‘Let’s Roll!”’

Keep in mind that I wrote those words a little over four years ago. Since then, I have written and delivered many sermons about what was yet to come, even when it seemed our now President-Elect was in the rear view mirror. I talked about how we were not doing enough to guard against re-entering those dark woods. Then, writings and sermons with titles like “The Arc of Justice Up Close and Personal,” “Church 2.0”, “The Weaponization of Grievance,” and finally, “Change,” I warned about the Tsunami of radical change fueled by hatred, victimization, lies, mass coercion, white fragility, systemic racism, and cognitive dissonance that would envelop us. At the same time, we all sat around singing Kumbaya.

Since 2016, I cited solid research that shows that much of the extreme hardening of political ideology is a function of racism. For example, political scientists Steven Miller and Nicholas Davis of Texas A&M released a study in 2016 titled “White Outgroup Intolerance and Declining Support for American Democracy.” Their study found a correlation between white Americans’ intolerance and support for authoritarian rule. In other words, when many intolerant white people fear democracy may benefit marginalized people, they abandon their commitment to democracy. Study after study confirmed what social scientists call the “Trump Effect” of rising authoritarianism.
 
In the past four years, I have been screaming, “Hey ya’ll, we never left the dark woods. We’re now more lost than ever. Our monsters came with us, and they will eat us alive!”

In the last sermon I delivered in April 2024 to my home congregation in Lake County, California, called “Change,” I explained why my wife, Carol, and I had decided to immigrate to Panamá before the national election in November of this year. I discussed how the principles of evolutionary psychology were skillfully employed by the radical right to prepare an uninformed and pliable population to fundamentally change our system of government from a democracy to an authoritarian regime.   

Specifically, in the “Change” sermon, I explored how and why change can cause us to act or decline to act, especially when facing existential threats. Given enough time and the right conditions, I explained that even radical, harmful change may not be perceived as a threat because we are biologically wired not to act in those circumstances. I said:
“It is essential to understand that all these factors are arrayed against us now. Don’t think for a second that there are not very smart people at work who apply the principles of evolutionary psychology and its insights into human behavior to manipulate populations adversely. People armed with such knowledge exploit our biological limitations to subvert our society for their gain.”

To illustrate the point about radical change over time, I asked:
“Twenty-five years ago, could you imagine it possible that we Americans might reelect a twice impeached person convicted of being liable for rape and fraud and who faces serious and credible criminal charges ranging from leading a nationwide insurrection to election interference?”

Mind you, I asked that question before the twice-impeached person was found guilty of 34 counts of felony for election interference.

The nineteenth-century French philosopher Joseph de Maistre wrote, “Every nation gets the government it deserves.” The fact that Maistre was a staunch Monarchist aside, his words ring true today. Fifty-four days ago, our nation got the government it deserves. The fact that most of us did not bother to vote, and many voted against their own interests, is a testament to the brilliance of the architects of the demise of our democracy.

In April of this year, I wrote:
“I believe the pendulum of change towards a dangerously far-right ethos in our country is happening too quickly and powerfully for most of us to comprehend. Regardless, these changes are inevitable, and they will be as profound as any faced by pre-Nazis and pre-Fascistic populations in the last century. The people engineering this change have been at it for a long time. They have not merely hoped for this change. They have been seething in the background, planning, forming militias and think tanks; they have appointed judges, adapted their tactics, forced their way onto school boards, taken over state legislatures, and systematically subverted the liberal democratic intentions of our laws. They have promulgated messages of hatred and victimization. They have told the big lies because they understand the psychology of mass coercion works best that way. Cognitive dissonance matures into obedience when those big lies are allowed to metastasize. What can we do about this? 'How, Clovice, can we hope to undo the damage?' you might ask. Well, I think it’s too late to change the tide.”

Before I left in September, I told anyone who would listen, “If you have a closet to hide in, hide in it.” Unfortunately, my skin color does not provide me with any closets. From my perspective as a keen student of history, I determined that being a black intellectual, radical left social justice UU minister, artist, musician, leftist professor, atheist, and all-around pain in the butt, I had too many targets painted on my black back to stay in this country. Like many dissenters before me, I believe I can do the most good by continuing my social justice work where I can be safe.

So, enough of the doom and gloom. I told you I was taught to offer hope in a sermon, so here it is. I will now borrow extensively from my “Change” sermon to expand on a concept that I call LASTING as a way to navigate through the very difficult times ahead.

Here is something to consider: the people who have made these changes to our nation have done so because they are hateful. They wish people to be disconnected from one another. They adapted to the environment of liberalism, which they despised. They then set about systematically to subvert the liberal democracy they found so offensive. They have succeeded in creating a movement to fundamentally transform our society into one that will preserve their notion of white dominance.

My proposal for countering this anti-liberal, anti-democratic movement that is sweeping like wildfire across this nation and around the world is simple in concept. It is inspired by Christianity and is guaranteed to bring our planetary civilization into proper alignment. Back in April, I asked people to remember this acronym (because I was running out of time in the sermon): LAST
LOVE
ADAPT
SUBVERT
TRANSFORM

LOVE the people who hate you. Love all people through connection and work against forces that seek to disconnect us from one another. Love the planet and work against forces that seek to exploit it.

ADAPT to profound changes when they occur. Do not martyr yourself. Hide in whatever closet is closest. Get a flag and wave it proudly from your house. Change your party affiliation to the dominant party, but if it is possible, vote for liberal causes and candidates during an election, when that is possible. Blend in. You may need to go back to celebrating Thanksgiving with people who don’t understand the “fuss.” I’m not saying you have to eat meat if you are a vegetarian. Bring your own food and offer it in the spirit of celebrating differences among us.  

SUBVERT any system that seeks to maintain power through hatred and division. Undermine it in every way possible while preserving human life (including your own). Strive to employ art, beauty, parable, humor, reason, satire, and life-enriching technology. Promote messages of human connection, justice, and love. Provide education that uplifts the human spirit rather than that which promotes fear. Be constantly aware that your ideals now counter the power structures governing our nation. Go underground, maintain secrecy, protect the safety of others, and above all, do not underestimate the ferocity of the people intent on punishing you for what they consider your transgressions against them.  

TRANSFORM the society around you into one that celebrates freedom, promotes liberty, and honors the rights of all people as equal members of the human family. Work for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all people. Use the UU principles as a basis for everything you do in the public and private spheres. Speak your truth boldly while you continuously listen to the truth of others.

Now, to LAST, I add the following:

INNOVATE ways to engage people who disagree with you to find common ground. Always apply principles of critical thinking, invite reason and respectful dialogue, and be respectful of their humanity while gently countering the fears and misinformation that may guide them. Use any appropriate technology and method to persuade opponents to break the cognitive dissonant state that allows them to behave and believe in ways counter to their own moral or spiritual center. Always consider them an “opponent” because until they truly embrace the “interconnected web of existence” our UU principles espouse, they will be dangerous to our cause of Love, Adaptation, Subversion, and Transformation.  

NURTURE our fifth UU Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and society. You will undoubtedly encounter people in this new era who genuinely don’t understand how democracy works or the duty each citizen has to maintain it. What can you expect when civics is not taught in school for two generations? I call myself a Constitutional Pluralistic Democratarian, just to mix things up. I am “Constitutional” - because I believe in just laws instituted and upheld by a written document that guarantees how those laws are administered fairly and equitably in a society. I am “Pluralistic” because I recognize more than one ultimate principle and advocate for a system where two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist equally. I am a “Democratarian”… an admittedly made-up word… because I wish to be clear that I stand in direct opposition to the “Authoritarian” philosophy of government.  

GROW a more just, open, and equitable society based on humanitarian principles. It is possible to grow such a society amidst violence, hatred, inhumanity, cruelty, and indifference by transforming adversity into an opportunity for deeper connection and action. Growth begins with individuals and communities embracing the principles of inclusion and mutual respect. Networks of solidarity must be formed, even if clandestinely, that challenge oppression and injustice. Equality-based education, accurate portrayal of historical oppression, and narratives that address systemic inequalities will eventually lay the foundation for healing and the renewal of democratic principles. The most challenging thing will be establishing grassroots movements and visionary leadership in a time of governmental repression. The kind of subversion I talked about must be employed to foster a culture of accountability, where violence and cruelty are met with resistance through nonviolence, dialogue, and systemic reform. Such a society can shift cultural norms toward compassion and shared responsibility by amplifying the plight of the marginalized and celebrating acts of kindness and courage. That appeal to decency and kindness was done during the Civil Rights era in the United States and can be done again. Growth is achieved not by shirking the challenges but by actively confronting them in any way possible, with unwavering dedication to building a world that reflects every person’s inherent worth and dignity.

Do you want to know how to overcome the Tsunami of radical change that is upon us?

Then, practice LASTING through adversity. Keep this simple yet powerful acronym in your mind: to Love, Adapt, Subvert, Transform, Innovate, Nurture, and Grow against all systems based on hatred and oppression.

Again, I say to you, we can’t sit still! Through all this, we will learn we are stronger than the temptations that seek to define us. We need to get out of the dark woods because we are Americans – and not whimpering, docile, frightened sheep. So, borrowing words from some pretty awesome Democracy-loving people who died on an airplane on 9/11, and adding to that the voices of all the brave Americans who fought and died for this precious democracy that is our birthright… I say, “Let’s Roll!”

Namaste