Presidential Election Aftermath, 2016 - What are we to do?

Well it has been a tumultuous season in politics and in our country.  We have been besieged on every side by negative political rhetoric and harsh campaign propaganda. Now that the election is over our fears are far from assuaged!  I have been shocked and saddened by some of the responses I have seen on FB and in the media this past week. What are we to do?

At times like these, in my best moments, I am drawn back to Scripture.  When I ask the question, "What am I to do?," I hear Micah the Prophet answer: “He has shown you, Oh Man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

A threefold answer:

Do justice or act justly – in other words as much as it is up to you, do what is right. Keep yourself above reproach. Stay on track with the Spirit of God in all you say and do, even in the midst of others who do not do the same.

Love mercy – this is a give and receive sort of thing. We all love mercy when it is the mercy of God being extended to us. What about when we are the ones who are called to reach out to others with mercy, with grace, with a gentle answer? Can we love mercy then, more than strife - more than our quick-witted, biting, sarcastic remark that will shut them down or put them in their place? Do we love mercy then?

Walk humbly with your God –  Can we maintain faith that, even with Donald Trump in the White House, God is still on the throne in heaven? Whether you are thrilled that this may mean an end of the Clinton era or whether you are scared to death because of the beginning of the Trump dynamic, can you remain calm and humbly trust that God is still working his purposes in this world – even through this difficult time?

These are the questions, it seems to me, that really matter. Can we, as the people of God, continue to deal respectfully with the people around us - even when we disagree. And can we honor Christ in the way we walk together in the days ahead.

Can we do this? Only time will tell and the true test is totally up to you and me.

For Such a Time as This...

I am sure that most of you reading this are familiar with this poignant phrase from the fourth chapter of Esther. At a crucial time of crisis in her community, for her nation, and for all the people she loved, Esther faced an agonizing decision which could cost her everything. Her cousin Mordecai encouraged her to step out bravely, taking great risks in faith, trusting that God had prepared her, even equipped her, for service precisely for the situation she now faced. This section has long been among my favorite Old Testament Sunday School tales. It challenges me to see myself as an integral part of God’s plan even in difficult times.

The divisive Presidential election season we just came through has felt like a difficult trial at times.  I have heard from, and spoken with, people from all over the spectrum. The one common thread that seems to linger is uncertainty. Uncertainty can lead to fear. For many, the results have led to shock. Left unchecked these feelings can lead to full-blown panic.  What are we to do?

Here, I believe, is where Esther comes in. Not that our situation is exactly like hers. We do not face the wrath of an arbitrary King whose decree seeks to destroy us as a people. Although (I say with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, and with a wink of my eye) if you listened to some of the rhetoric prior to the election, there are those who would tell you that is exactly what we faced from candidates on both sides of the fence! None the less, our situation is not exactly as grave as Esther’s. Still, I do believe that  you and me, and all Christ-followers living in America today, have been brought to this place for such a time as this.

What our nation needs is faithful people who will live out their loving beliefs in front of an angry, and fear-filled world. What our community needs is faithful men and women on the job, teens in classrooms, and kids on playgrounds who are driven by a solid faith that God is greater than any political squabble. Our world needs to see that even though this election shakes us all in some ways, perhaps to our core, at the true core of who we are, it does not shake our faith in the God who is and will forever be, Lord of all who live.

Our kids at the Conejo Church have been memorizing Psalm 90:2 recently. Perhaps we should follow their lead in re-centering our hearts: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” Another familiar passage from the King of Israel reminds us, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want…”  Do we believe this? Are we living in such a way that this belief is evident? I encourage you to see that we were given a faith like this for such a time as this. Live it well and spread peace.

Because of Christ,

Jack