for an end to this Uncivil War

Positive messages are pouring in from around the world. From near and far, leaders are letting us know that the great majority of humanity never lost faith in us or in our ideals; that they will always support and honor civility, freedom, and justice—concepts that can help cleanse our minds from countless lies, while restoring our battered souls.

The tone was set the night before. Four hundred lights lined the Reflecting Pool from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. The solemnity was accompanied by spiritual music that honored those who fell victim to the Covid virus. It was a quiet reminder of our own mortality. As the words and the majesty of Amazing Grace flowed out across that long corridor, they also reminded us of our humanity, and of our determination to pull ourselves out of the quagmire and back onto that long incline that can lead us to our eternal place among the stars.

The next day President Biden delivered a healing Inaugural Speech that was suitable for the ages. It was devoid of condemnation, gracious in victory, and welcoming in its rhetorical impact. His words reminded us that meaning flows deeper from the setting and the urgency of the moment, rather than in either the syntax of the words or the context of their use. The setting was on the Capitol steps where intruders and marauders had violated every pretext to worthiness just 14 days earlier. The moment required that the speaker rise above those clattering memories of turmoil, dissension, and murder. Joe Biden delivered. His manner was calm, focused, and to the point. In the soft tones of one who has lived a long life, filled with sorrow and challenge, he looked into the cameras and explained how courage must lead before truth and honesty can follow. Healing underscored his message as well as its ethos, its pathos, and its logos. He called upon the simple eloquence of purpose to contrast the shrill tenor of the times.

Among his first acts the President invoked the authority of the US Army to set up and man the virus vaccination distribution program; he set a goal of 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days; he re-entered us back into the World Health Organization; put us back into the Paris Agreement; stopped all building for that Wall; and unblocked and restored hope to immigrants. He also installed 1,000 Presidential appointees with the quiet but firm caution that anyone who dishonored their trust with the American people would be fired “on the spot.”

The days ahead will be daunting. Still, television time and live microphones are among the spoils of a presidential win. With a firm grasp on the executive branch, and a tenuous hold on the Senate, the days ahead must be guided by resolve. Biden’s stutter-step gave a glimpse of his age as our new president climbed the long stairs and walked in the limited parade that followed. But occasionally he sprinted to the edges of the route to say “hello” to the small numbers in attendance. Still, it’s good to know there is a young, resolute vice president just a whisper away from the top position—with the same values and determination to carry the torch of freedom.