The year of 2020. A hard one for all of us. And a lot of that hard is culminating this week. No matter the outcome, I fear for the things that might happen after the election results are in. Voting is good, but what comes next?
Yes, politics, I'm going there. Not because I have a lot of faith in our system, but because I have a lot of faith in humanity and our ability to rise above the chaos. I believe we can choose to love each other even when we grossly disagree. I believe we can bring unity in small ways, even when there is so much divisiveness on a big scale.
My hope and daily prayer is to see Jesus's words and actions lived out in post-election America. Jesus didn't get caught up in either extreme of the leaders of His day. He showered love and true shalom (wholeness) over the people in the margins. The outcasts. Jesus bypassed the politics and went straight to the heart of the system's problems. The victims of the system, loving them and providing healing.
No matter the outcome, we should still strive to bring unity and peace to every interaction, every situation. I believe our system in America is broken because it brings about two extremes and the compassionate, moderate voices are the least heard. But there are a lot of us who want the same thing, though we may want to go about it differently.
How can you bring wholeness and healing to the context God has placed you in? Can you bypass the politics and do the good you're able to where you're at? There is so much out of our control, even if the people we voted for win. What can you do that's in your control?
Maybe it's in the way you respond to others. Maybe it's in the way you treat others in the grocery store line. Maybe it's volunteering to help local foster kids, or food banks, or homeless shelters. Live where Jesus lived. In the margins, and your perspective will shift drastically. Borders, countries, political alliances don't matter in the Kingdom of God, and we're to bring the Kingdom here now.
I listened to an amazing workshop on politics, how to see things as they really are, and how to treat each other in such uncertain, extreme times. It's worth a listen and they're doing another series of workshops starting on November 5th.
If these words don't help settle the anger and bitterness in your heart, I hope it will help you consider how you treat and talk to others.