Following the election, I imagine people are feeling a wide variety of emotions, for some, a huge relief, for others raw anxiety. I do not want to dismiss those feelings, or minimize the important decisions that were made, but in some ways, it doesn’t matter who won the election. As followers of Jesus, our mandate remains the same – to proclaim God’s love to the world, to advocate for dignity, justice and equity for all people, working for peace and reconciliation, standing in solidarity with the marginalized, the poor and oppressed, committed to care for the needs of neighbor. Regardless of who is president and what policies they seek to enact; we will care for our neighbor and bring that commitment into public conversations and decisions.
This election has once again revealed the deeply troubling reality that we are divided by the values we hold to be important and what truly defines greatness. We are not just on different pages; it seems we are reading completely different books found in different sections of the library. How then, do we respect, let alone care for our neighbors who hold such opposing views? Is it possible to stop all the rhetoric, all the heated and hateful speech, and actually listen to one another? Can we hear the concerns and fear to uncover our common humanity, and see the image of God in all?
Again, our mandate is unchanged – to trust and follow the one who brings healing, compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation to our broken world. As challenging as it may seem these days, we will embody the unity of Christ, traveling the way of Jesus.
This is a time to for us to step deeply and courageously into our faith as God’s beloved:
To confess our sins - we have supported and participated in the tactics of divisiveness and lies that have hurt others and harmed the fabric of the common good.
To repent - to change direction and walk humbly with one another, speak the truth in love, not spread lies out of fear, listen with respect, and follow the commandment to speak kindly about one another.
To love our neighbor - all of our neighbors, as ourselves following the example of Jesus
To trust - that it is God, not any one individual or ideology, who reigns and as people of faith we are called to participate in God’s reign.
So, in the midst of all the emotions, let us not forget hope and courage, understanding and compassion. Let us continue to be beautiful, brave and kind for this world that God so loves.
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