Chateau Lloyd

I'm old enough to view the outcomes of political elections as highly overblown.  Most of my adult life has been spent hearing how each election is the last off-ramp from tyranny, a point of no return for democracy or freedom or whatnot.

In the case of the past year, it has already been proven correct.  A great spiritual cleansing has taken place and people of goodwill have felt the lifting of a great burden, precisely in the manner described in our Advent readings.  The majority of Americans had been conditioned to believe that they were a tiny minority, and the Arc of History was going to see them crushed to powder.

That was proven false, and as the days passed, it has been interesting to see the preference cascade as defectors flee the ranks of the woke, either out of relief or fear of retaliation.

A year ago I wrote that 2023 was about "tidying up," finishing things off from the previous years.  I think 2024 finally saw forward progress in multiple ways, and the coming year promises even more positive changes.  In retrospect, I was perhaps unduly pessimistic in my take on politics, but my final thought was spot on: putting more trust in God and his mercy has paid rich rewards.

The last few months in particular has seen renewed friendships, healed relationships and the prospects for personal growth open up.  There is still much to be done, but I approach the new year with a confidence that has been sorely lacking of late.