How do we heal?

Like many of you, I didn’t get much sleep last night. Ever since I was a little boy, I have been excited on Election Night, almost as much as Christmas. The past few elections have caused me to think. So many friends stand on opposite sides! How do we heal from this division?

The past several elections caused me to think about how much ‘faith’ we place in our government system. Rather than allowing the Church to heal us, we depend upon election night. My social media feed this morning is filled with radically opposite reaction to the election.

As many of my friends are weeping, many are rejoicing. I can’t say I fall into either camp because I see the elections through the lens of the Church. I don’t see the results of last night in terms of saving vs ruining the country. Our “kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18.16)

When we forget that we are sojourners in a foreign land, elections can destroy our peace. Whether you are happy or sad about yesterday’s election, I ask you to consider this. We weren’t electing a patriarch. We were electing a president. The government can’t save us.

Where do we go from here? Can we heal from such a divisive election? I really don’t know. The only path to healing is through Christ and His Church. If we can focus on Him, then we can heal between friends.

That doesn’t mean we don’t participate in the system. It means our participation is dependent upon our willingness to ‘co-exist’ with those with whom we disagree, sometimes vehemently. That can only happen when we trust God to be our savior and not politics.

Good peace!