“What will you preach the Sunday after the election?” someone asked me recently. I had not thought much about it, but the question gave me pause. “Well, I suppose it depends on the outcome,” I managed to respond. “In the meantime, I will be encouraging everyone I know to cast their vote for the candidate(s) whose platforms and ideologies most align themselves with their own.”
If nothing else has been crystalized for me these past seven months, it is that good leadership matters. While no person is “perfect” and we may not always agree, it does make a difference who is at the top. In particular, the decisions of our elected officials have long-term effect on all of us (and the world), and needless to say, it is likely going to take years for our country to fully recover from the many pandemics of this season. There are lots and lots of major decisions that are made daily, and a mindset toward civility and the common good is essential.
Voting is our right and responsibility as citizens of the United States. It is also a moral issue as Christian believers because we are called to care for one another, the marginalized, and those most vulnerable. For me, it is never an option whether to vote or not given the extraordinary amount of suffering, blood, sweat, and tears that have been shed for me to be able to do so.
I encourage you to declare your truth and convictions by prayerfully casting your vote over the next few days because all votes count, or at least they should. And if for some reason they do not, then there is even more reason to persevere.
Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, let us move forward with hopeful expectations and continue to do our own good work as best we can, trusting that we are all being held in the hands of our God and Creator.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Cathy