Piloting Faith: Today is election day...

A Word for the Day...

Today is election day.

I hope, I pray, it's the day that we see people of faith vote with the values they learned from Jesus. I've talked with a few people lately who passionately argued that Jesus was not political, and therefore the Church shouldn't be either. Honestly, I don't know what Bible they are reading. Everything about Jesus' message was political because it was so counter-cultural to the politics and policies of his time. He advocated for welcoming strangers (immigrants), caring for the poor and elderly (social security/affordable healthcare/access to education), and non-violence as a way of life (common sense gun reform). Everything about his message was generous, kind, and grounded in the sense of love instead of fear.

Many of the people I love are trapped in a fear narrative. They really believe a caravan of cop-killing immigrants is on their way to invade our nation. Even though they benefit from the labor of undocumented workers in their industry. Even though they need access to public healthcare plans. Even though they have LGBTQ people in their family. Even though they have needed access to birth control and abortions. STILL, they buy the fear. They see in our current political leadership an assurance of security for their way of life - Tough White Daddy will take care of us. My God, the price we all pay for that kind of thinking.

On this election day, I hope we see more of us waking up to the reality that patriarchy has never served us well. Racism erodes our soul. Fear-mongering paralyzes our creative potential. Misogyny suppresses our wholeness. I pray we wake up to hope in our future where all of us, because of our differences, create a more just world for all.

- Rev. Cameron Trimble, CEO of the Center for Progressive Renewal

Prayer for the Week

God of all that is good,

When we look around this world, we see great beauty–echoes of
heaven, evidence of every good and perfect gift.

But we also see terrible pain–tragic shootings, broken relationships, abused power,
malnourished children. And so we pray…

May your will be done today, on earth as it is in heaven, and let it
begin with me.

Loving Creator, grant us strength to be instruments of your goodness.
Show us what to do and how to do it.

May your will be done today, on earth as it is in heaven, and let it
begin with me.

Give us, your people, the conviction to do more than just pray
your will be done–as though it were happening outside of us, and
carried out by other people. Let this be our most heartfelt desire
and deepest personal commitment.

May your will be done today, on earth as it is in heaven, and let it
begin with me.

Amen.

(adapted from The Prayer Wheel by Patton Dodd, Jana Riess and David Van Biema)