"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

These words were spoken by President Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address at the end of the Civil War in 1865, and are carved into the stone walls of the Lincoln Memorial in our country's capital. They are old words from a previous time. 155 years later, they are more relevant than ever.

This Saturday, November 7, the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement, in collaboration with the Braver Angels organization and the "With Malice Toward None" project, will host a post-election  discussion to process the 2020 election.

But in the meantime, Election Day is before us. If you have not already voted absentee, early, or by mail, will you use your voice and vote tomorrow? Will you affirm and protect your neighbor’s right to a voice and a vote? This week is likely to bring rejoicing, anger, hope, hopelessness, jubilation and despair, depending on where each of us stands on the issues of our age. And the final outcome of the election may well be uncertain or contested tomorrow night, as absentee and mail in votes continue to be counted. As we wait and watch, Luther Norse, our creed states that we are citizens of the world, inclusive and compassionate to all, that we value and recognize all faiths, and that we are a diverse community—which includes a diversity of political views.

As we enter this week, I am signing on to the "With Malice Toward None" Pledge, and I invite you to join me:

Regardless of how the election turns out, I will not hold hate, disdain, or ridicule for those who voted differently from me. Whether I am pleased or upset about the outcome, I will seek to understand the concerns and aspirations of those who voted differently and look for opportunities to work with people with whom I disagree.

The sustainability of the great world house we inhabit together, including the part that is Luther College, is dependent on all of us doing our part to understand each person’s views, even as we harness our individual passions and work on the issues that animate us, both during this election season and beyond.

In hope,

President Jenifer K. Ward