America’s political class went into Election Day with a very specific idea of how things were going to go. As the returns came in that evening, a clear picture emerged. Americans are much more moderate and level-headed than our social media feeds and the legacy media would have us believe.

America is a vibrant, moderate nation. Democracy is constantly challenged; it’s the nature of the process. New ideas emerge, and those ideas must compete for support. An unexpected result isn’t the sign of a broken system, but a reminder that the system works. We chose divided government, a government that will necessarily filter out the extremes.

It’s sad to see how much a national election cycle weighs on many Americans. The government wields significant power, but that power is frequently checked. A single candidate can’t fix your life or ruin it. The biggest personal impact you have on our nation is the way that you live your life and raise your children.

Cynical as it is, the legacy media and technology companies need your attention and your money to maintain their position of power and influence. If you don’t watch their programs, click their articles, or follow their feeds, advertisers won’t pay them to keep doing their work. They are masters at manipulating human emotion, especially fear, to keep you turned in to their specific message. Their masks are off. The media are not impartial arbiters of truth; they’re very well funded political operatives.

I’m sure you’ve heard all of this before, probably even recently. It’s not a conspiracy theory, it’s a felicitous reminder. Don’t place your hope in the next political movement or media figure. Place your hope in the God who can and will save you, who will fix your life, who will pull you out of the doldrums and who will give your life purpose.

Tags: Political Life