We’re moving into the last week of a fraught season. Yesterday, I sent a newsletter to my Substack subscribers, in which I called for political sobriety as we draw to the close of the 2020 election. If you haven’t read the newsletter, follow this link.

In the last 48 hours, I’ve had a handful of conversations in which the person on the other side of the table invoked the very real concern that our country is headed into a season of violence. I cannot say whether this is melodrama or a legitimate possibility, but the fact my friends on both sides of the aisle are discussing it as a less than remote potential is, in a word, sobering.

Consider what’s in a word.

Sobering, adj., so·ber·ing | \ ˈsō-b(ə-)riŋ: Tending to make one thoughtful or sober.

Marx said, “Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes,” often translated as “Religion is the opium of the masses.” Maybe Marx is right. Perhaps, though, in modern America, we’ve substituted identity groups, self-interest, ideological hate, and political opinion for religion. Put another way, what if we’re so drunk on politics that we cannot see past our need for our favorite fix.

I’ve learned a few things in my 43 cycles around the sun, and among them is this: Addictive behavior harms both the addict and their neighbor. And as we make our way to the rock bottom of our political addiction, I cannot help but think that harm is on the horizon.

I’m asking you to wake from your political addiction. How? Consider the steps I laid out yesterday:

Turn from prayer for a political outcome and turn to prayer for something like familial healing;
Turn from monstrous language, from the sort of name-calling that leads to further division;
Pray for an understanding about how your neighbor could vote for a different political party than the one you prefer, and enter an honest dialogue about those decisions;
Impute best intent to your political opposite until you can no longer impute best intent;
When you can no longer impute best intent, address the evils of this political cycle (racism, abortion, etc.) with clear, fact-based language;
Refuse violence of any means (whether in speech or action), and if some action must be taken, prepare to act in peace.

Use these steps to find something like sobriety. Then share them with a family member, community member, or friend. Together, forge a better, more sober way.

DON’T GO JUST YET

If there’s one regret I have about The Book of Waking Up, it’s that I didn’t realize just how addicted we are to politics at the time of its writing. I suppose I understood it at a macro level, but this election cycle has exposed a much deeper addiction. If you haven’t picked up a copy, please do, and consider just how the framework of waking up applies to our political addictions. Then, chart a course for true political sobriety.