A Word to reflect on following an Election
- from a faith perspective
Brothers and sisters: clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Christ’s peace must reign in your hearts …
- Colossians 3
What are my post-election emotions?
How do they match the categories in the passage from Colossians?
Am I tempted to allow either a win or a loss to dispense me from loving my neighbor?
Praying for Ourselves and our Country
O God, in the days following the election, many are happy and many are disappointed. Many are concerned and many are relieved. This is a time when we acknowledge winners and losers. Teach us to win gracefully. Teach us to lose gracefully. We are, together, citizens of a community greater than our impassioned political positions. Wherever our political loyalties lie, O God, keep us dedicated to do what is just, to love what is good and to walk humbly with you.
Help us to remember that neither winning nor losing excuses us from the command that we love one another with peace in our hearts and kindness in our speech. Your command to love makes no exceptions permitting us to hate our opponents and their followers, to despise the winner and their followers. You call us always to peace and unity, never to discord or division. Heal us from our differences and unite us, O Lord, with a common purpose, dedication, and commitment to achieve liberty and justice in the years ahead for all people, and especially those who are most vulnerable in our midst. Send your Spirit of peace to reign and help us work together, this day and every day.
~ Amen.
