Friends in Faith,
I'm struggling with what just to say on such a sad day as this one. I may offend some with my political views; that is not my intent. I am speaking as a Christian and as a citizen of the United States of America. Paul's letter to the Ephesians speaks to us about the importance of speaking the truth in love.
Some Christians tire of politics and believe that church should be a refuge from the many cares of our day-to-day lives. Many others believe that our faith is inherently political because Jesus was political; he spoke truth to power and sought to change systems of oppression. In the same way, politics influence all people — as children of God, we care about the ways in which we are treated by one another and by the state. As much as politics can be overwhelming and souring, today has demonstrated to us that the very foundation of our democracy is under threat. President Trump and several GOP congressional leaders have done everything in their power to undermine the democratic results of our recent elections. Wild conspiracy theories have been stoked and unfounded comments abound which only seek to divide and disrupt. Over the past two months, officials of all political persuasions have done their due diligence to investigate any possible election corruption or inconsistencies. All of the lawsuits they have brought forth have been dismissed as frivolous; there has been no evidence of corruption in any of our elections. In fact, many Republican state leaders have stood by our stringent voting process and joined the overwhelming majority of voices in declaring President-Elect Joe Biden's victory.
Today, we are seeing the results of dangerous language and careless speculation. There are very real consequences to all of these political games, including violence and vandalism which are underway in the hallowed halls of the Capitol Building. Sadly, the damage has been done and many of us, myself included, fear that we will only see more incidents of violence as we transition to Biden's presidency. Indeed, we have all been hearing more statements concerning calls to violence, even civil war.
The question becomes how do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, find our way through such turbulent times? I'm not sure I have the answers but I think we need to first acknowledge that our nation is quite sick. Very few people want violence and as Christians, we reject it in all forms. I pray there are ways that we can speak up on behalf of love and unity, of civility and respect when others work to promote division and misinformation, threat and chaos. I pray our churches might be more willing to reflect upon God's Word and the ways it does influence our politics and our humanity. Ultimately, I pray that we would all strive to be more loving as this is what our faith is all about.
Finally, let us pray this day, trusting that God is still in control of this crazy world. This prayer comes to us from our sisters and brothers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in a time of conflict and crisis:
O God, where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope.
Where anxiety is infectious and widening, grant peace and reassurance.
Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and resistance.
Where distrust twists our thinking, grant healing and illumination.
Where spirits are daunted and weakened, grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams.
All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
This Sunday, January 10th, we'll be celebrating Epiphany — a time when we recognize light in the midst of darkness, and the importance of wise ones doing brave and faithful acts in the midst of political bloodshed. As always, you are invited to join us for our Facebook Live service which begins at 10:20 a.m. Then, immediately following this service, we value an informal time of sharing and prayer via Zoom (at approximately 11:10 a.m.). The links for these services, and many other opportunities, can be found here.
Friends, whatever your political persuasion, may we all continually open our hearts and minds to God's Spirit of love and grace for all people — those we know and love, as well as those we don't know and who we may disagree with. Where there is fear and hatred, may we seek understanding and love, where there is woundedness and discord, may we seek healing and unity, and where there is anxiety and panic, may we seek peace and trust in God and in one another.
Peace be with you all and may peace be restored in our nation,
Jesse
