Dear people I probably didn’t vote for:
I am not interested in or impressed by your religion.
I do not care if you are Baptist, Buddhist, Baháʼí… or whatever.
I do not especially care about your accomplishments, either…
That you might be the first black something, or the first woman something, or the youngest-ever something, or, for that matter, the youngest, black, gay, queer, trans, or used-to-be-a-liberal-or-conservative-but-now-you’re-a-conservative-or-liberal something.
I mean, good for you! You did it! Whatever that means.
But really, truly, I couldn’t care less.
Are you kind?
I care about that.
Do you have compassion?
I care.
Do you 'love thy neighbor’?
Do you?
All of your neighbors?
Do you really?
What if they don’t look like you, talk like you, act like you, believe like you…
Or vote for you?
Are you self-aggrandizing, proud, and cockily looking down at the rest of us from your victory podium, or are you on your hands and knees peering into a darkness with your light pointed at making a positive difference for the lives of the people you have been… selected to serve?
I care about these things.
I am not interested in or in need of a protector; a defender; a Savior.
I have one of those.
And I am praying to Him for leaders.
Kind leaders.
Compassionate leaders.
Leaders “not just for some of us, but for the sum of us”…
The least of these… us.
The unlovely of these… us.
All of these.
Us.
Leaders who don’t just take a vow, up and down, to serve;
But leaders who are willing to bow down…
And serve.
Dear, would-be leaders, I admit that I probably didn’t vote for you.
But I do have hope for you.
And us.
Lead well, please.
We need you.
More than you know.