Who Will We Become in the Midst of This Trial?

A word from Frs. Ben, Matt, and Spencer:

The three of us were reflecting the other day that this election has us all feeling pretty anxious: not knowing what the results will be, or the (potentially violent) response to those results.

Add to this, of course, the long-standing weariness and grief we are all experiencing in the midst of a global pandemic, worshiping on Zoom FAR more than any of us would ever want to, and getting in touch with everything the pandemic has stolen from us… and we’ve got a recipe for heartache and pain that none of us anticipated going into 2020.

These days are fraught with danger for our souls and our communities, but also with opportunity. There’s a lot at stake for the church: What will we do with this anxiety that’s bubbling up? How will we relate to our family members and colleagues in the midst of all of this antagonism and vitriol? How will we confront and process our grief and pain?

Most importantly: What kind of people will we become in the midst of this trial?

The danger is that we succumb to the enemy-making, privilege-protecting, oppression-excusing impulses of the world, the flesh, and the devil (to put it in the old-fashioned way of saying it). But the opportunity is that, in the midst of the pressure and fatigue of our current moment, we could allow the Holy Spirit to shape us as the enemy-loving, privilege-divesting, justice-making Body of Christ in our communities.

Let’s pray this week that we can withstand the temptations of these times and embrace the daily bread of God’s grace, flowing to us from the kingdom of the heavens around us, to become the self-emptying hands of feet and eyes and ears of Christ in the world, whatever the result of the election this week, however long the pandemic lasts, and whatever additional losses and pain we might incur as a result.

We are in this with each other. Let’s stay connected to one another and love one another as we seek to live the politics of Jesus as the Body of Christ together.

Grace and peace,
Frs. Ben, Matt, and Spencer