*   Daniel: Greetings my dear friends and students.  Please feel yourselves embraced, uplifted, and held by all of us on our side, who are so keenly appreciative of the efforts you make.  You have gone through a challenging week and can foresee challenges ahead, but, my friends, I encourage you to avoid becoming alarmist. Rather, focus not on the extremes of your political spectrum, but on the center, the commonality.  For most people, no matter for whom they voted, desire peace and goodwill among all people.

As you have discussed in the past, and as we have noted, different groups have different sources of information and seek different authorities.  Regardless of which side of the spectrum people reside, most people desire fairness, freedom to achieve one’s potential, an opportunity for good jobs with potential for promotion, stable incomes, comfortable housing, friendly neighbors, and a sense of community.  At this time, focus not on the fringes and alarm yourself that those fringes may grow.  Do not feed that element.  Feed the middle; feed the common desires.

*   Aaron: It is no coincidence tonight that my colleague, Daniel, asks for you to consider the center, for whether it be the political winds or your spiritual focusing, the process of centering brings balance.  I am Aaron.  It is good to be here with you tonight.

Centering in the stillness is not so dissimilar from the process of finding the center and recognizing where the commonality is in your social and political processes.  When you relax into the calm, you are letting the fringes, and your areas of frazzledness, go in favor of regaining a sense of balance, a sense of commonality with what is real, with what has substance, with what can ground you in your awareness.

There is a difference between being a proponent of the center and your biblical references to being lukewarm.  Some may think that taking the middle ground means fearfulness in either not taking a side or not showing strength in taking a stand, but true centeredness is not fearful, but rather having a strong sense of your core, you find commonality and community in what binds rather than what tears apart.

Always there will be believers that come from different perspectives, those who believe in sanctity and preservation, those who believe in freedom and expression, and yet it is the place where these wants and needs meet, where true understanding and connectedness can occur.  Sometimes looking for the middle ground is taking a stand, and looking to come together is taking a stand, thwarting those who thrive on chaos and division.