All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
Julian of Norwich
Here we are just a few days away from Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020, and among the noise of the secular world, I work to remind myself of the above words of Julian of Norwich. She wrote these words in the late 1300s, but they apply to our lives today just as surely as they did to hers. Because of Jesus Christ, because of His life, death and resurrection, we are saved by grace and all things shall indeed be well.
In this chaotic world in the time of the COVID pandemic, natural disasters and a contentious and antagonistic election season, it is easy to lose sight of what is most important. To be distracted and a bit unbalanced is not a sign that our faith is weak or that we do not love Jesus. It is difficult to focus when we are bombarded by distressing new and divisive campaign ads, whether in print or online or on television. So how do we move through this time? How do we run this race with endurance? The answer is that we do not do this alone, by our own might.
Let us remember also that just two days before Election Day, we celebrate All Saints' Day. We celebrate all those saints who have gone before us; those who have been brave, those who have forged new paths and done extraordinary or miraculous things; as well as those saints whose stories are known only to God. It is these faithful ones who should be in our thoughts. When we reflect on our lives, let us look for those faithful people who have let the love of Jesus shine through in their words and their actions. Where, in the midst of this season of distractions, do you see God’s work in your life? Let’s work to recognize where God is working in the world around us, knowing that through the grace of God, one day all shall be well.
Let us pray:
Grant, O God, that Your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart-and especially the hearts of the people of this land-that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
