2024 Week 46

Hello, Springers!

Now that Election Day is over, it’s time to look forward to the future.

Television, social media, and print were filled with anticipation of what would happen, especially in the presidential election. Now that most of the results are known, it is time to consider the hard work of what’s next?

I appreciate the positive feedback we’ve received regarding our instruction to Pray. Vote. Love. I’m thankful that so many of you took it to heart and did just that. You prayed for our nation, which is a gift from God. You voted your conscience, which is the duty of citizens in the American experiment. Now it is time to consider the work of loving your neighbor no matter how they voted their conscience.

Some of us are glad concerning the results. Some of us are distraught concerning the same results. The only way we can be united as a church is to be united to Christ first and then led by the Holy Spirit to show grace to one another.

I’d like to share two examples of what it means to love your neighbor in this moment.

First, I have a group of friends who told me that they are genuinely fearful about the election results. These are not naïve or unthoughtful people. They read and watch many of the same news outlets that I do.

In this instance, to love your neighbor means for those who are elated by the results to show their kindness, stability, and sanity to help assuage their fears.

Second, I have a group of friends who are elated by the results and are making it known. However, some of their friends on the other side quickly decided they no longer want to be in dialogue or hear anything about our country’s government. They’re threatening to cut off friendship with anyone who voted for the winner.

In this instance, to love your neighbor means for those who are despondent about the results to show their kindness, stability, and sanity by staying in conversation and not cutting friends off.

What are you feeling about the results of this election cycle? What are your joys and what are your fears? One way to discern whether or not you have a political idol is to check your own heart by filling in the blanks on two statements:

1) Now my life is a joy because _________ happened in this election.
2) Now my life is in despair because ________ happened in this election.
If the election results had been the opposite of what actually happened, how would you fill in the blank?

To give our heart’s deepest joys and sorrows to a particular candidate, a particular election, or a particular party is to make politics an idol. To give our heart’s deepest joys and sorrows to Christ is to trust the one who is both your Creator and Redeemer and to find in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3) that will far outlast all political kingdoms on earth.

Lastly, you can see that I’m speaking very generally, not even naming candidates. I know each of you has particular joys and pains. If you feel you need pastoral counseling about being a disciple of Christ in politics, then let’s make time to speak together. Contact the church office and we can set an appointment.

in Christ,

Pastor Tag