equanimity
I’m still processing last Tuesday’s elections. It was indeed a seismic shift. Some of my family and friends are ecstatic. Others are worried and discouraged. I will admit that preceding the election I had a lot of anxiety. I pondered which days were more comfortable: the days prior to the election that lacked certainty, or the days after the election when I would know. As everything was revving up, I heard a good word: Equanimity.
Equanimity is realizing that “It’s all part of it.” If you are upset about the direction that the country has swung, tell yourself, “It’s all part of it.” If you were discouraged until the Blue Tsunami went through the country and now feel like you’ve won the Super Bowl, remember, “It’s all part of it.” Life isn’t a win-win experience. In every moment we are suffering or rejoicing or somewhere in between.
When we suffer, Augustine (334-430) would remind that, “Our hearts are being trained in all the hardships and trials of this life.” We are in a unique position to help others in their moments of need. And if you feel like a winner right now, use that emotion to help someone else who is feeling lost and confused. Win or lose, the work starts today. John Chrysostom (347-407) would exhort, “Grant peace where there is conflict, justice where there is oppression and hope where there is despair.”
It reminds me of when I was studying theatre in college. Four times a year, we would audition for a major production. Scanning the cast list posted by the director and seeing my name was a moment of exhilaration. But I also needed to quickly remind myself that the work was only just beginning. Winning the role was not the goal. Playing the role well was the goal.
Other times, there were tears. In those moments, equanimity was accepting the disappointment and realizing that there would be another audition soon, another opportunity to make the case that I could play the role. But before I could try out for another part, there were plenty of ways that I could serve the current production: building sets, gathering props, sewing costumes, stage managing, etc.
Another word for equanimity is poise. Tim Keller described poise as the wisdom to not get too high or too low, but to recognize that God is present in all the eventualities of life. This is our moment to recognize that “the over-love of power can show itself in people who are opinionated, poor listeners, argumentative, highly partisan, unteachable, and afraid to admit when they have been in the wrong…Jesus achieved true strength by seeking not power but service.” (God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life by Tim Keller, p. 98)
My pastor recently posted, “Moments of transition… remind us of the God who faithfully sustains his people in every season… and is also sovereign of all that unsettles the world, calling us to trust Him as our provider and to turn to Him in the midst of upheaval.” This is certainly one of those moments of transition.
If you feel really sad, I encourage you to grieve. If you are deliriously happy right now, ride the wave of celebration. But don’t linger in either state. Look to your neighbor and where you can be of service. Find your equanimity.
Love, Liz
“Much of our hope gets pinned to a date, a diagnosis, or a circumstance changing, and it collapses when things don’t go that way. What has your hope been resting on lately?”
Pastor Nick Locke
