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Dear Friends,
I have thought long and deeply about what to say in this season of Advent after one of the more divisive elections in recent history. Whichever candidate won, the result would leave us with about half the nation being jubilant and the other half being despondent.
So how do we move forward from this point?
I suggest that as Christians the path is made plain in Jesus' teaching in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verse 27 - "Love thy neighbor."
It serves no useful purpose to spend our time judging or disparaging those with whom we differ. What is needed is more bridges and less walls. Jesus knew that it is love that makes enemies and strangers into friends.
If this election did nothing else, it made plain that we have work to do to build more bridges of understanding. This is something that neither political party has done particularly well. But this is something that we in the Christian community are called by God to do with each and every breath. Some of us are doing a pretty darn good job at mastering this challenge given to us by Jesus.
"Love thy neighbor" means standing with those who need us. It means respecting each person's dignity. "Love thy neighbor" means listening to and engaging in conversation with those who agree with us, as well as those with whom we disagree. "Love thy neighbor" also means opening our hearts and minds to those whom we may even regard as the enemy.
It has been my experience that through dialogue we will discover that what we value, what we desire for our children and the future we envision for ourselves and others, is not that dissimilar.
We must not forget that love always outlasts hate. In the end, love always wins. Love has the power to heal our divisions.
During this Advent season, let us believe in the love that we as Christians are known for. Let us especially embrace those who are fearful, despairing, and feeling overwhelmed. Our love may provide the reassurance needed to allow them to hope once again by letting them know that they will not be abandoned. We will stand with them. We will speak up for them. We will defend them. We will love them.
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