A voice in Ramah crying above the noise

That scripture came to mind as I watched the tension and emotion of this election season unfold. It feels symbolic of the mood across our nation. There is a collective cry for fairness, compassion, and meaningful change.

All around me, longtime friends, new acquaintances, coworkers — people are expressing the same sentiment: “We want change.” 

This is not rooted in bitterness or political loyalty. It is rooted in fatigue. It is rooted in a desire for leadership that listens, evolves, and remembers its responsibility to the people.

We are being asked to “lift [him] up.”

The question many are asking is this: Who has been lifting us up?

What about the teachers, nurses, and public servants who lost their jobs during the vaccine mandate? Many of us prayed for them as their homes were foreclosed on. We supported them as they had to rebuild their lives under difficult circumstances. Instead of mercy, they faced lengthy court battles. Where was the compassion for them? Where was the empathy?

Stories and allegations continue to circulate, from the highest ranks to the lowest, about abuses of power, preferential treatment, and decisions that seem to benefit a few while leaving many behind. Who exactly is being lifted up? 

Those already secure? 

Those close to the source of privilege?

There comes a moment in any nation’s life when even a long-standing leader can become disconnected from the people — a stranger in his own land. When the voices of ordinary citizens no longer seem to reach the ears of those in power.

That moment has come!

Amid the noise, the rallies, the slogans, and the fear-based messaging, we must find clarity. We must remember that democracy grants us agency. It grants us the power to choose, to speak, and, when necessary, to change direction.

As we stand on the threshold of another election, I am choosing change. Not out of malice, but out of hope. Out of conviction that we deserve leadership that hears us, respects us, and serves us with humility.

Change must come. It begins at the ballot box.

Another Voice in Ramah

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