FOR WEEKS (that felt like years), many of us were torn between almost-obsessive tracking of polls, debates, tweets, and divisive campaign rhetoric—and a heartfelt desire for anything-but-the-election. Because, of course, so much of life isn’t wrapped up in partisan electoral politics, as important as elected officials and public policies are for the well-being of all of us and our earth. This issue of Sojourners reflects that tension: While we feature perspectives on the presidential election and what’s ahead politically, we also offer reflections on matters not bound by four-year cycles.
The Indigenous concept of buen vivir (good living), as Néstor Medina explains, encapsulates a holistic vision, rooted in community and in relation to the earth—a vision that has much to teach us about the gospel itself. And Elaine Enns attests that a “discipleship of decolonization,” based on an honest facing of “ghosts” past and present and an enduring commitment to rectify the resultant harms, offers not only liberation but also hope for a more equitable future. That work goes on, in election years and beyond.
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