And this is the victory that conquers the world, our
faith.
For
the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments
are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is
the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the
world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 JOHN 5:1-6
The
day after an election, any election, we rush to the papers to look for the
winners and losers. Did “our guy” win?
Did “our cause” prevail? Who is
claiming victory and who will have to wait and hope and fight the good fight
another day?
On
the day after a particularly contentious election , which makes plain the painful
and bitter divisions among the members of Christ’s body, where is the good
news? While some parts of the church celebrate the passage of Amendment One,
others who already hold Christians in low regard find their suspicions of
religious intolerance among followers of Jesus Christ confirmed. Where is the
good news in that? Christians and other people of faith who worked passionately
for the defeat of the amendment may feel tempted to just retreat back into
their protected enclaves of the likeminded, perhaps surrendering to temptations
of being intolerant and hateful toward neighbors who have been intolerant and
hateful toward them.
Where is the good news in that?
The
Good News is where it has always been. Not in headlines as if they tell the
deeper story of salvation. Not in
political power structures as if they hold ultimate keys to our freedom. The
Good News is the Easter news: the love of God in Jesus Christ lives among us,
walks among us and even works among us in surprising but always life giving
ways. Always. It is just that sometimes,
some days, some seasons, Jesus is hard to see.
Those disciples on the road to Emmaus on the first Easter morning? They
felt bereft and abandoned. But they weren’t.
Mary Magdalene in the garden on Easter morning was so caught up in her
grief that she did recognize Jesus when he came to her side in a completely new
and initially unrecognizable way.
Today
is more than the day after an election. It is a new day with new possibilities
for loving God, loving our neighbors, seeking justice and showing mercy. Now don’t misunderstand. It is not a day to
merely step back into a private world lacking in engagement with the very real
challenges and struggles of the day. I read two papers this morning plus TV and
radio coverage. We who expect protection
of our religious freedom must work to protect the freedoms of others. Christians must engage passionately and
respectfully with other Christians whose understanding of scripture and tradition
differs from our own even and especially in matters critical to defending the
dignity of all children of God.
The
victory of our faith is that no matter what the setbacks along the way, Jesus
is still the way, the truth and the life. The victory of our faith is in
following the commandment of Jesus to love one another as God as loved us.
Today and always.
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