Shine with the Light of Christ: A Post-Election Reflection

Psalm 146

Lauda, anima mea

1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, O my soul! *
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.

3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their though ts perish.

4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;

5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;

6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.

7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.

9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah 

Like many of you, I’m struggling to express the grief I feel about our country right now: grief over how politics have hardened our disagreements, how easy it has become to demonize the most vulnerable, how smug and dismissive we are of one another. I feel anger, too, toward those with power, affluence, and voice who profit from creating and promoting these divisions. It all makes me want to cry with the psalmist, Put not your faith in rulers or any child of the earth, for there is no help in them.

I hurt for those who worry about whether there’s enough at the end of the week to pay the rent and buy groceries to feed their children. With those who fear for the security of their marriages, friends, or neighbors. With those anxious about the precious water, earth, and air that gives all God’s creatures joy and life.

People on both sides of our country’s political divide harbor versions of these fears and more, deep in their bones.  There’s just so much we can’t control. We can’t keep hurricanes from destroying homes or solve a family member’s addiction. We can’t magically fix all the underground pain that too often lashes out in ugly words and hurtful actions. It’s a mess.

But all the stuff we can’t control doesn’t affect what we’re asked to do as the beloved children of God, who promised in baptism to carry the Creator’s light and love to others.  We are meant to wade straight into that mess, working to bring justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.   We are called to care for the stranger, protect those whose dignity and lives are threatened, and comfort those who fear.

Just this morning, my sister sent this to our family group text (shared with her permission):  

I woke up this morning thinking about all the years of my life that I felt very marginalized and sometimes deeply hurt in our country as a queer person. It felt really crappy and very alienating to have fellow citizens passing laws that deeply impacted my humanity and to have the church of my childhood saying hateful things about me. Some of those old familiar feelings are creeping back in after this election.

One of the things that really held me through all of those years was knowing that I had the strong, unconditional love and support of my family. I know that is something people should be able to take for granted, but it’s still not something many of my LGBTQ+ friends can count on. And to think there was a time where I doubted you all would show up!

Anyway, just feeling grateful for you all as we hunker down to continue the struggle for peace and justice for everyone.

It’s part of our life as Christians to do our best (because we are fortunate enough to live in a democracy) to vote for leaders who most closely express the values and the care we desire for our families and communities.  But there has never been a time or place or government in all of history without the oppressed, lonely, and bereft.  It’s our work to identify where those marginalized, afraid, and hungry for food or justice are right now in our families and communities and then give them our concrete, unconditional love and support in whatever way they ask us.  None of that requires that the political leader of our choice gets into office, that our country is running smoothly, or that we all agree. It just requires that we live into our baptisms, loving the kingdom into being.

Shout out to St. Mary’s Sunday Night Discussion Group for shining that light last Saturday by showing up to clean Northern Light Clubhouse’s new home, readying it for folks recovering from addiction who will live there as they move out of recovery programs toward new work, new homes, and new community. Where else, beloveds, what else, who else needs God’s love and light shining through us?