Tenderness in Turbulent Times
Dear ones,
Even if you are striving to avoid the news these days (an understandable choice!) it would be difficult to not encounter the reality that we are living in a deeply fraught and fractured time politically. No matter how you voted, these last ten days have brought word of significant changes, a lot of uncertainty, and for some of our beloveds in Christ, serious pain and fear. I shared some of these thoughts this past Sunday, and I want to reiterate them now for those who were not present. While I would not choose this division and strife, these turbulent times make me all the more glad that week by week, we gather shoulder to shoulder around our altar. Iām grateful for this gift because I know that every time we stand together in this way, we are gathering as a diverse body with a range of perspectives ā a rare thing to find in a community these days.
And because of that, and because of how heated and painful much of our world is right now, I want to ask that we all reach to be extra thoughtful and gentle with one another. Whenever you are here at church, it is wise to assume that you are with some folks who voted differently from you. In the last week, Iāve had some people ask that we simply take talking politics off the table for discussion here, so that this might be a haven apart from that storm. As triggering as so much of the news and political action is right now, I completely understand this desire. And, I donāt think that we can actually do that and still be the Body of Christ.
I don’t say this because I think we lack self-control to stay mum about politics, but rather because most of the issues at hand are, in fact, Gospel issues. As such, we are called to dig in together, thinking about how we can care for the widow and orphan, support the stranger seeking refuge in our midst, feed the hungry, and bring liberty to the captives and good news to the oppressed. These are all things Jesus both enacted himself and asked of us, again and again. Many of these needs and concerns are now legislated in our country, in one form or another, and yet we are still called to engage with them.
And. And, and, and. We need to do so with kindness and care, always returning to our baptismal promises to respect the dignity of every human being, which includes those who voted differently from us. We are learning, and this is challenging, and I believe that we can do this together. I hope and pray that in the days, weeks, months and years ahead, we can use our community as a space to practice being curious, to talk with people rather than about them, and to reach for a holy mix of courage, vulnerability, and humility. This is a place where, above all, we are called to love each other well, and this requires both intentionality and practice. I look forward to learning and deepening this discipline together.
Love,
Liz+