And Then We Turned the Page

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of

President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability

preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Like so many of us here and around the world, I watched spellbound as our new President raised his right hand and took the oath of office. He spoke those words in front of a sea of fluttering flags instead of a crowd of spectators, and spent the day escorted by troops instead of watching parades and dancing at inaugural balls. But that didn't matter, in the end. What mattered were the words, there for all to hear.

Those words - that oath - well, it's everything.

All the years of training and preparation, all the struggle of the past months and all the hard work ahead were packed into those few simple words. When a new President takes that oath, he or she pledges to lead us in the days ahead, to be true to our Constitution and to put the needs of our country first. Those words are a sacred promise, made before God and the whole world. And so we all watched as our new President - and all of America - turned the page, and a new chapter of our country's history began.

As I heard those words, my eyes filled with tears. I've lived through many elections, and I've watched as our new leaders stepped onto that stage and raised their right hands to take that sacred oath. Sometimes I was proud and excited, and other times I watched glumly. But I've never felt anything like this.

All of a sudden I felt lighter, like a hundred pound weight had rolled away off of my spirit. I took a deep, deep breath, and felt all the parts of me that had been clenched tight for so long start to let go. I never realized until that moment how much fear I'd been carrying. Finally, finally I feel I can hope again.

I have friends and neighbors who watched the inauguration with dismay, and I sympathize. But I hope they'll give him the benefit of the doubt. We may not agree on the agenda or the details, but I think most of us want for our country to heal and start working together again.

Our new president is a man I respect, who's worked for many years across the aisle. He's already starting pulling together a team of experienced, competent people, and he's already published plans for how he'll work to address the crises and challenges we face. He tells the hard truths we need to hear so we can cope with what's ahead. He promises he'll do his best, and I trust him to be true to his oath.

Even in just the few days since he took that oath, we've already seen enormous changes in the White House. Over and over I'm seeing my hope validated in the leadership our new administration is showing. Careful planning. Transparency. Immediate action on the crises we're facing. Daily press briefings. What a relief to have real leaders back in charge!

But now, as we move forward in this new chapter of our history, I can't help wondering: what's OUR job? The challenges we face today can't be solved just by passing laws or taking executive action. Maybe we all, each of us, need to make a commitment, too.

What do we want in these next four years? Do we want to live in a divided, bitter country, struggling with the unhealed wounds of racism, the mounting effects of climate change and the rising death toll of an endless pandemic?

Or do we want to live in a country that faces its mistakes and takes responsibility for its healing? If we want to become a healthy, functioning national community again, it's up to all of us to do our part.

Our old ways of doing things might have felt familiar, but they aren't enough for these new challenges. I think we're going to have to be ready to put up with being uncomfortable - really uncomfortable. We're facing immense crises that call for more than committees and laws; they call for action from you and me, every day. Think of the hard work and sacrifices made by Americans in World War II. We need to step up and take our part of the load the way they did.

So as I think back to that moment when our new President, and our Vice President as well, spoke those words, promising to do their best, I've been thinking about what promise I want to make as well. What hard work am I willing to do?

Here are the promises I've decided to make as we turn the page and start this new chapter of our history:

I promise to protect my community from the Covid virus. Heaven knows I'm tired of wearing a mask and of staying home and being cautious, but this horrible pandemic won't be over unless we all do the hard work of keeping each other safe. Each of us holds the lives of others in our hands, simply by making this simple promise.

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I promise to listen more to people I don't agree with. Rather than rushing to correct or judge, I promise to slow down and listen to their needs and frustrations. Maybe then we can find some common ground and plant some seeds of agreement we can nurture together.

I promise to take a hard look at my own racial biases; to read and learn and be willing to face uncomfortable truths, and to do my part in healing my country and bringing about the justice it so badly needs.

I promise to make changes in my own lifestyle to address climate change - to take a cold, hard look at concrete ways I can do my small part to avert this catastrophe through how I live, how I vote and how I speak out.

Maybe, as we start writing our future on that blank page, we all have a contribution to make. Just imagine what we could do together.

There are amazing times ahead. Let's go make history!