Saturday, November 7, 2020 (as published in The Gospel of Joy)
This morning tumbled into a bit of the sensation I’d experienced on and off during the last week like I was watching scenes of a movie where the director wove events in a flowing timeline as the storyline played out in two parallel universe worlds.
First, the incumbent president tweeted an update on the lawsuits he and his campaign were pursuing in mistrust of the democratic process in his seemingly-soon-to-be loss against Joe Biden. The tweet announced a scheduled press conference later this morning at “Four Seasons” in Philadelphia. But soon after, a clarification was posted. It was to be held at “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” in Philadelphia, and not the luxury, marble-clad Four Seasons Hotel that soars above Center City in Philadelphia which everyone apparently thought he meant by the first tweet.
Photos from on the ground at the press conference location at “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” showed an industrial-looking building between its next-door neighbors: a “Fantasy Island” adult sex shop including pornography viewing booths and the Delaware Valley Cremation Center. Meanwhile, other reports were coming in through tweets that the president was golfing in Virginia substantiated by photos and a video posted in real-time.
Then, switching back to the press conference coverage, some accounts stated that as the president’s attorney began speaking, reporters suddenly started packing up their equipment to leave… because several major media outlets had just “called” the election for Joe Biden.
11:25 AM EST
Breaking news! The Associated Press declared former Vice President Joe Biden the winner of his native Pennsylvania to become President-Elect of the United States of America with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris alongside him as the first woman, first Black woman, and first person of South Asian heritage to be elected vice president.
Within moments of the announcement, Twitter lit up. One of the first tweets in the feed acknowledged the heart-felt emotions many people were experiencing upon hearing the news. The tweet said, “This is very moving. This means a lot to a lot of people. A very raw & authentic moment just now on CNN, Congratulations America.” It linked a video broadcast with Political Commentator, Van Jones, choked up and trying to hold back tears on-air as he discussed what this meant to him,
“It’s easier to be a parent this morning. It’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier to tell your kids, character matters…. telling the truth matters. Being a good person matters. And it’s easier for a whole lot of people. If you’re Muslim in this country you don’t have to worry if the president doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant you don’t have to worry if the president will snatch babies away or send dreamers back for no reason. It is vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered. “I can’t breathe.” That wasn’t just George Floyd; that was a lot of people who felt they couldn’t breathe.
Every day you’re waking up, and you… just don’t know and you’re going to the store and people who had been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier to you and you’re worried about your kids and your sister; can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without someone saying something to her, and you spent so much of your life energy just trying to hold it together. This is a big deal.”
And he wasn’t alone, emotions poured out all across America and throughout the world:
…I feel every bit of this and felt all of these emotions every. single. day. And I still will for a while with a new hope that things will change. Thank you America for coming through for ALL of us…For four years, America was ruled by its darkest impulses. We had a leader who sought to scare us, divide us, and diminish us.
The people have spoken, as only those in a democracy can: By voting. And demanding that America live up to its much loftier promise…it’s so hard to find words but some of first coming to mind are relief, joy, & gratitude. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard campaigning, thank you to the tireless poll workers & vote counters, & of course thank you to the voters!!! WE DID IT!!…Senator Bernie Sanders issued a statement of support and congratulations following the election of Joe Biden: “Let us create a government that works for all and not the few. Let us create a nation built on justice, not greed and bigotry”…Today is a great day not just for our American friends (whether they realize it yet or not), but also for the rest of the planet. The healing can soon start…I am so happy for the USA right now!!! We are all in floods of joyful tears here in my little kitchen in Ireland…#PresidentElectJoe I’m here in Germany and crying with joy! And so many millions around the world are celebrating right now. The American people voted for democracy and decency and truth against dictatorship, crime and lies. THANK YOU!!…My wife just got congratulated by a cousin in Italy!!! The world was indeed watching!…I really hope America is feeling the love, joy, support, celebration, happiness, tears, and smiles radiating from the rest of the world tonight. We might not be with you in the streets, but we’re definitely with you…Celebrate America! You took your country back and Canadians couldn’t be happier!…The WORLD celebrates…We are living in the ending of Return of the Jedi…Manhattan feels like if we overthrew a dictator. Honestly. Everyone out in the streets. Crying. Cheering…Harlem, NYC blew up after the news. I heard the celebration out my window and knew even before I turned on the news that #PresidentElectJoe won…It’s a party in the USA! It’s a party in Atlanta!…A massive crowd of thousands of jubilant people have gathered at the White House — and overwhelmingly, the people celebrating Joe Biden’s victory have masks on. It’s a beautiful sight to see…Currently at Black Lives Matter Plaza at the White House: the LGBTQ+ community, BIPOC, Muslims & people of all religions & backgrounds are celebrating outside with signs & the pride flag & trans flag! This is historical!…DANCING IN THE STREETS! Columbus Circle, NYC…Celebrations in downtown Denver today. A happy mood. We can all finally breathe!…[Video of Native Americans dancing] Hello from Minneapolis right now, in front of the police department’s 3rd Precinct, which was burned down following the police killing of George Floyd…Large crowds gathering in Cleveland to celebrate the election of President Joe Biden!…The #BidenHarris2020 celebration is packing Miami’s Biscayne Boulevard! Pots and pans…Celebrations all over the DC Metro. I think I saw Ewoks and shiny spirits of John Lewis and John McCain giving Biden a head nod…Scenes from the Boston area: A vehicle flying a Biden-Harris flag drove through Maverick Square in East Boston as the driver beeped the horn. A man carrying a rainbow-colored flag that read “Pace” (the Italian word for peace) walked down Meridian Street…A victory for the soul of our nation…It feels like the USA has won the World Cup, Copa America and the Olympic Soccer Gold all at the same time….Church bells ringing in Paris, cheers erupting in Rome, and fireworks in London. Our allies around the globe are celebrating the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris…Live Blog: Latin American politicians and activists from Argentina to Mexico were celebrating U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s victory on Saturday, Milagros Costabel writes…Mayor of Paris France just tweeted this! “Welcome Back America!” …a day to remember!…Live on French television. America today seems celebrating their own Berlin Wall fall…Thank you Jesus!!!…What a beautiful day in the history of the United States of America…Love is bigger…This one was for you Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Lewis……@JoeBiden @KamalaHarris and the American people, you just gave the world one of the greatest acts of kindness and bravery humanity has ever seen…Celebrating today by sitting by a fire in Manhattan with our closest friends. Here’s to a future America where the dream is accessible to all people of all types, cultures, and points of origin. Forward together…Joy came to America today!…
In the evening, I tuned in to watch the live stream of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ speeches. The joy in my spirit was palpable, but not a type of amped or excited rejoicing, it was an inner illumination as I sensed there may be some inspiration to journal in this moment of history. I centered and cleared my mind and heart into stillness, and then allowed my awareness to open and expand into oneness. Then, in a stream of consciousness, I wrote:
“Tonight, we have in this glorious moment the joy of an entirely new beginning given to us through the grace of God. The beginning of the Heavenly reward after years upon years of endured suffering and hard work in dedication to the cause of liberty, justice, and the pursuit of dreams come true for all Americans. This is what life is all about. If we all truly put into practice through our words and actions what the principles of our nation were founded on, the United States will be a beacon of light for all the world to see. We can do this! Believe in the Good!”
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris took the stage first in Delaware and spoke: “Congressman John Lewis, before his passing, wrote, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act.” What he meant was that America’s democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it, to guard it and never take it for granted. Protecting our democracy takes struggle, it takes sacrifice, but there is joy in it and there is progress, because we, the people, have the power to build a better future.
When our very democracy was on the ballot in this election, with the very soul of America at stake, and the world watching, you ushered in a new day for America… you delivered a clear message. You chose hope and unity, decency, science, and, yes, truth. You chose Joe Biden as the next president of the United States of America. Joe is a healer, a uniter, a tested and steady hand, a person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us as a nation reclaim our own sense of purpose, and a man with a big heart who loves with abandon.”
As she transitioned to discussing this pivotal moment brought about by the inherent possibilities for dreams to come true in a nation like the United States, I turned to my notebook and wrote, “The American Dream is on the precipice of coming true, miracles and dreams come true for all of us if we keep the faith in what is good and just for all. We are the generation of a new beginning, but unlike the founding fathers, we are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us…”
Just then, I heard Kamala speak, “…I stand on their shoulders…”
I exhaled as tears welled in my eyes and awe rushed through my senses in instant recognition of what just happened. I wrote the same words literally a second before she said, “stand on their shoulders” and the meaning this had for me was that the spirit within her words was 100% aligned with where my heart is in Christ, to the very exact choice of words. The spirit in leadership they are offering is a renewal of the pure essence of Christ that was in the Declaration of Independence.
Even if the lives and the vision of our founding fathers did not quite create the nation they aspired to become, the vision remains with us and is in our hands to complete the work they started, just like King Solomon completed the temple that his father, King David, prepared but was forbidden to build because the wars he engaged in and the blood that was shed (1 Chronicles 28).
My attention went back to the live stream as Kamala introduced President-elect Joe Biden, and I listened with earnest to his words:
“Tonight, we’ve seen all over this nation, all cities in all parts of the country, indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith, and tomorrow brings a better day. I’m humbled by the trust and confidence you’ve placed in me. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify, who doesn’t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States, and work with all my heart, with the confidence of the whole people, to win the confidence of all of you. For that is what America, I believe, is about. It’s about people. And that’s what our administration will be all about.
I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class, and to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home. It’s the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for that vision. Now the work of making that vision is real. It’s a task, the task, of our time… To make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They’re Americans. They’re Americans.
The Bible tells us to everything, there’s a season, a time to build, a time to reap and a time to sow, and a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.”
As President-elect Biden mentioned the verse from Ecclesiastes 3, my mind flashed to the inherent synchronistic symbolism of the word “season” from where the press conference for the incumbent president’s attorney was held earlier in the day at “Four Seasons Total Landscaping.”
I perceived the two parallel universe worlds again in my mind, split into two but flowing as one in linear time. All of this was of Divine timing and design, down to every minuscule detail. I felt the rush of awe come upon me with the two worlds reflecting each other as two sides in creation, but then I balanced it right back into one flow as my ears were opened to hear Joe Biden’s words:
“What is the will of people? What is our mandate? I believe it’s this: Americans have called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, the forces of fairness, to marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time, the battle to control the virus, the battle to build prosperity, the battle to secure your family’s healthcare, the battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country. And the battle to save our planet by getting climate under control. The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot… Folks, I’m a proud Democrat, but I will govern as an American president. I’ll work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me as those who did. Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end here and now.”
With his use of the word “demonization” my ears perked, and I listened more intently to the spirit in his choice of words. In his declaration, I sensed a preacher with the sharp-edged sword of the Word of God.
Biden continued, “The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not some mysterious force beyond our control, it’s a decision, a choice we make. If we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. I believe that this is part of the mandate given to us from the American people. They want us to cooperate in their interests, and that’s the choice I’ll make. I’ll call on Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make that choice with me. The American story is about slow, yet steadily widening the opportunities in America. Make no mistake, too many dreams have been deferred for too long. We must make the promise of the country real for everybody, no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability…
I’ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America. We must restore the soul of America. Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses, and what presidents say in this battle matters. It’s time for our better angels to prevail.”
As he spoke, I felt the energy of spiritual warfare in the Heavens above, and into my mind’s eye leapt a vision of Revelation 19 in motion, with the Heavens standing open in his directive through the authority and light of Christ for better angels to prevail. I envisioned a white horse, whose rider was called Faithful and True; with the armies of Heaven following, dressed in white and clean fine linen. The saints and all the angels taking their places in the skies through the words that he spoke as he placed Satan underneath not just his feet, but under the feet of all Americans.
My eyes widened in realization, “This is it! It is really happening!” It is judgment day for the soul of our nation.
As in Matthew 24, when Jesus’ disciples were said to have asked him what the sign of the second coming would be, and the end of the age, and among other indicators, Jesus told them it would be during a time of wickedness when the love of most people would grow cold. This was evident nearly everywhere in headlines and across social media across our nation today.
Jesus said it would be then when the gospel of the kingdom of God would be preached in the whole world as a testimony and the end would come, for the day of judgment is the day of decision (Joel 3:14) and “displays to all the seal of truth…for then will everyone bear his own righteousness or unrighteousness” (2 Esdras 7:104-105).
Biden spoke, “…Tonight, the whole world is watching America, and I believe, at our best, America is a beacon for the globe. We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. I know I’ve always believed, and many of you heard me say it, I’ve always believed we can define America in one word: possibilities. That in America everyone should be given an opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.
You see, I believe in the possibilities of this country. We’re always looking ahead, ahead to an America that’s freer and more just, ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect, ahead to an America that cures diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind, ahead to an America that never gives up, never gives in. This is a great nation. It’s always been a bad bet to bet against America. We’re good people. This is the United States of America. There’s never been anything, never been anything, we’ve been not able to do when we’ve done it together…”
Illumination lit within me and I knew, this next part was mine to do. I was about to check off another box on my Holy Apostle To-Do List. Turning back to my notebook I wrote:
“On the precipice of this new beginning for our nation, breaking ground on the New Earth merged with the New Heavens, God whom we name in our Pledge of Allegiance and Declaration of Independence, has sent me to you as one of your own. In the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the Universe, our Great Father Sky and Mother Earth, and of the Almighty Holy God of All, everything that is Good, Righteous, and of Love, this is God’s message for the people and leadership of the United States of America at this moment in time:
We in Heaven agree. If you stay true to your words, as promised in Matthew 18:19, in accordance with the joy of Christ, this nation will be blessed with miracles beyond imagination for the rest of your days. Keep the faith and believe, and you will receive all of the joys in life as evidenced through the work of Christ in the light from the river that flows from the throne of God: dreams come true and miracles across America.”
As I paused in writing, I realized that unbelievably, I’d written about this in a vision more than a decade ago, in 2010. Until this moment, I couldn’t fathom how it would apply or when would be the right time for it to be said, in fact, I omitted it from the version I submitted to the publisher in 2019 because it was not relevant at the time. From my writings on July 4, 2010:
“…Do you realize what this means? God WANTS to bless this country. God is literally holding out prosperity, liberty, and the dream of happiness for us—the honest to goodness opportunity for each one of us to freely pursue a life of joy, to receive blessings and happily ever after for all of us in the United States of America!
This is beginning here. But it is up to each American to decide whether to turn inward in hope and faith to reconnect with the true light and love within, and then to turn back outward unto the world and shine bright with peace, acceptance, and goodwill. It will take more than one or two people to turn our nation around; it will take more than one election or special event like Hands Across America in 1986. Will we shine together to make a brighter future for our families and children and all the world to see?
The One Holy Almighty God of Goodness, Righteousness, and Love through Jesus Christ is giving us this opportunity; Jesus is in the wings ready to come forth in a blaze of glory. His return is imminent if we call upon the true living Spirit of love to work through our lives to create a better world. We have the opportunity for this miracle to be established here in our land.
Imagine how much positive change we could achieve if the 300+ million people in the United States of America came together under one declaration for peace, brotherly love, and liberty, showing the world what it looks like when we actually hold ourselves accountable in words and actions to our Pledge of Allegiance, as the Church of Philadelphia depicted in the book of Revelation.
What do we get if we do this? (That’s always the question, right?) Well, besides a wellspring of peace and joy in our every-day lives with all needs met and miracles abounding from on high, God’s promise to us is golden. If we do this, scripture states, “You’ll be voted ‘Happiest Nation.’ You’ll experience what it’s like to be a country of grace” (Malachi 3:12, The Message Bible).
God is ready to grace this country more than we could ever imagine. But it will take each of us to go within and do the work to heal the broken pieces and divisions that we carry with us from the past. Ask, seek, knock, and the door will be opened—even a door big enough for the entire nation of the United States of America. Everything is possible for those who believe!”
I turned back to listen to President-elect Joe Biden’s speech as he was wrapping up, “Now together on eagle’s wings, we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do. With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with love of country, a thirst for justice, let us be the nation that we know we can be, a nation united, a nation strengthened, a nation healed, the United States of America.”
I perceived where we were in this moment in American history was not only in a karmic re-cycle of the 1918 pandemic, but also reverberated back to the Revolutionary War, and thus, reminded me of Thomas Paine’s writings, The American Crisis, published in the Pennsylvania Journal on December 23, 1776.
When I read these words for the first time over 10 years ago, “Would that heaven might inspire some Jersey maid to spirit up her countrymen and save her fair fellow sufferers from ravage and ravishment!” I knew it was somehow calling to me, but it was not yet time.
Here it was now a decade later, and the calling was in motion because we were now standing at this karmic crossroads as a nation—together on the threshold of suffering or joy, of Hell or Heaven—and where we go from here is up to all of us. From The American Crisis,
”I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state: up and help us; lay your shoulders to the wheel; better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake. Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet and to repulse it. Say not that thousands are gone, turn out your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but “show your faith by your works,” that God may bless you. It matters not where you live, or what rank of life you hold, the evil or the blessing will reach you all. The far and the near, the home counties and the back, the rich and the poor, will suffer or rejoice alike.”
Just like Thomas Paine said, I also see no real cause to fear, because I know our situation well for I am one of this nation’s own, and I am here in this moment with you, too. The vision of the way, just as President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris spoke of towards a better nation for all of us to feel proud to be citizens and enjoy better lives is the way of Jesus Christ, the Good, and the Light. If we persevere in this work to eradicate our demons for good, the soul of our nation will be fully redeemed.
Our allies in the world knew that we are all in this together and that our great nation was on a slippery slope towards drowning in the lake of fire. That was why so many of them were overjoyed and celebrating that, “America is back” because we demonstrated our commitment to democracy and the greater good for all. The New Heavens merged with the New Earth begins here. With us. In the United States of America!
It is in our hands to show the world how healing, joy, and miracles happen through the light that is within us all. Call it Christ, call it the Tao, call it the Force, or call it scientifically or spiritually whatever you choose to call the energy of life in motion that is God; the Divine light source in our soul which brings forth peace that surpasses all understanding drawing upon the wisdom found within the heart, the light of Goodness within us which will always guide to love.
More patriotic pride was welling up in me than I think I’d ever felt before in my life. Even more than when I used to gaze at the poster of Rosie the Riveter on my mom’s classroom wall where she taught United States History to 8th graders, and I’d dream about the future. It was then, during the 23rd presidency of the United States with Franklin D. Roosevelt as it was now: We are in this together and our nation will be healthier and happier if everyone pitches in and does the work required of us for the good of all. This time around, we have wisdom from lessons learned in the past. We’ve carried our crosses of missteps and errors along the way, and in this election, millions of Americans chose a new beginning.
We are at the moment in time as spoken by Martin Luther King Jr., “And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we’re free at last!”
If we stay true to the course set in front of us, our true American Spirit will shine because the battle of good and evil in duality will be overcome and put to rest in the history books of the past. This is the way! One day we will look back and see we are a nation truly filled with abundance and blessings and grace as promised by God in Malachi. Now it is time to get on to healing and head towards joy.
Keeping in our hearts that it will not always be easy, and patience will be required. Some days may feel like baby steps forward, but if we are mindful to act and speak in accordance with what we want to experience in our lives, day-by-day the world will be a better place to live in. Create joy; and if you cannot create joy, create peace; and if you cannot create peace, create harmony and accord; and if you cannot find it within yourself to cooperate where you are, then remain silent, lest you cast darkness into the world through your words and actions, and thus, draw more suffering into your own life.
If we should ever slip deeper into the lake of fire, these are the words to hold onto as a reminder of the way to move forward, if we want the favor and grace of God in our lives and our nation. Keeping in mind that the spirit among the people in our nation collectively contributes just as much as our leaders to what the rest of the world sees in America. If we veer off course in the future, for any one of a multitude of reasons, may these words serve as the focus, intention, and Spirit of Goodness to return to the pure essence our founders aspired for this nation to become for us to receive the blessings and grace of God.
As former First Lady, diplomat, and activist, Eleanor Roosevelt said years ago: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams;” a truth I have believed in since I was young. The light that shines with the joy of possibilities and in hope carries us through the storms and darkness and into better tomorrows.
We have the opportunity to show the rest of the world the American Dream is not a lie or a lofty idealistic fantasy in the sky. Our brightest dreams can continually come true in our nation for all of us to truly live our very best lives. Everything is possible for those who believe!
By the day you read this gospel, there will be no time left to wait, and as John Legend sang, “the future started yesterday and we’re already late.” So without further ado, let’s put love into action and complete the Good work that was given to us to do. All together now, may all Heaven and Nature sing unto the Earth. This is the way of joy. Let’s go!
For more about The Gospel of Joy, click here, for more about Shannon, click here, to connect, click here, to return to the home page, click here.
and Blessed Be
Joy in the World
in Christ Jesus’ Name
for Everyone.
❤️
www.ShannonofJoy.com
