God's Got This - Thoughts on the Presidential Election

[Below is a portion of my November 13, 2016 sermon, the Sunday after the election of Donald Trump. I offer it again on this day after his inauguration as a way to help our country move forward together, especially for people of faith.]

     Many of us continue to feel the highs and the lows of the recent presidential election. Regardless of who we supported with our vote, this election cycle has led us through many twists and turns throughout the very long campaign. It has been a roller coaster ride like no other.

     In many ways, our presidential election process has felt like a country music song, that has taken us all on quite an adventure that has included many surprising detours and an election result that has left people from both of our political parties speechless.

    In light of this past week’s election, there are many people which includes half the country who are very hopeful for the future. They see our next president as someone who will make needed changes in our country that our present elected officials have not been able to accomplish.

     At the same time, the other half of the voters in our country, while trying to have an open mind, are very worried, fearful, and concerned about how this change in the oval office will impact the lives of immigrants, minorities, and the LGBT community. These fears are very real and concern many of us greatly.

     How do we move forward as a country? No matter who we voted for this week, this is a question all of us have been asking these last few days.

     As your pastor, I want to offer some thoughts on how we as a people of faith can move forward and find unity. I pray that these will be helpful to you.

PRAY!

      The first thing is to pray. Pray for President Obama who is our president now, and pray for our next president, Donald Trump as he prepares to take office. The scriptures are pretty clear that we are to pray for those who are in positions of authority. So the first thing is for us to continue to pray that their leadership will ensure freedom and justice for all.

SEEK UNITY!

     The second thing we need to do, and this is the challenge for those of us who may not have voted for Donald Trump. We need to come together as a country and work toward unity while at the same time, be faithful to our beliefs and core values about what is right, what is wrong, and what is unjust. Holding our elected leaders accountable and working toward unity as a country are not mutually exclusive things.

REMEMBER, WE ARE CITIZENS OF GOD'S KINGDOM!

     Here’s the third thing. As people of faith, let’s remember that as followers of Christ, we are first and foremost, citizens of God’s kingdom. And this means that we recognize Jesus Christ to be the true Ruler, Savior, and Just Judge over all creation.

LISTEN TO EACH OTHER!

     And then this fourth thing which came to me 9 o’clock last night. God just hit me with this out of the blue. The fourth thing is for us to actually listen to each other’s hopes, joys, fears, and pain. And I’m not just talking about listening to the people who agree with us, but especially with the people who think differently than the way we do.

      This is hard stuff, because it means that maybe I should do less talking and more listening. And you know what? Confession time. I personally really stink at that. That’s why I think God gave this to me at 9 o’clock last night! A wise friend once told me to do these three things. Listen. Listen. Listen. I forget these all the time! What are the three things again?

     I don’t offer this as an easy answer in how we move forward as a country. I offer these thoughts to remind us that no matter how many twists and turns our country has faced over this past election cycle, not to mention the twists and turns that remain for us as a country in the future, this presidential transition is not something that God can’t handle.

     God’s got this. God’s got this because God has always been faithful.

A Plea for Unity As We Approach the Presidential Election

 

Recently, I felt a nudge or a push from the Holy Spirit to submit this article to the opinion page of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette. The motivation for this article is because I have been dismayed and disapointed in the number of people who have chosen to turn politics into a war of words, neglecting to seek unity and common ground to help us move into a more preferable future.  Instead of listening to various viewpoints with open minds, we try to outshout our opponents, label them, and hide behind shallow sound bytes.  But there is hope and I am reminded of this hope every Sunday morning at First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, Ohio.

A Plea for Unity As We Approach the Presidential Election

On any given Sunday morning, chances are good that Republicans and Democrats will be worshipping side by side in the church I pastor. Chances are also good that each person who enters the sanctuary that morning, including me, will bring his or her preconceived particular political viewpoints and biases on various issues. In our increasingly politically polarized environment, the simple act of a diverse group of people gathering for weekly worship has become, for me, a very refreshing counter-cultural visible expression of unity.

I lift up my diverse congregation in these weeks leading up to our presidential election as a positive example of what it means to agree and disagree within a spirit of unity and mutual respect. Not that we don’t have our moments, but for the most part, I’m privileged to be part of a faith community that seeks to be a place of open hearts, open minds, and open doors.

In a place you would least expect, the Middle East, there are a number of positive examples of where Muslims, Jews, & Christians, who have lived next to each other for centuries, have become close friends and loving neighbors. I continue to be amazed at this surprising display of unity in a part of the world where there is so much hatred and distrust at the political level.

During this time of political polarization and national negativity, I hope that our Lancaster community, with all of our diversity and opinions, can be a positive example of what it means to work together in unity and in a spirit of civility.

Marriage, Politics, & Compromise

As I prepare to officiate for my nephew's wedding this weekend, our nation's debt ceiling crisis dominates the news.  My wedding homily will highlight the importance for a husband and wife to look out for the interests of each other.  Can a connection be made between marriage and what we're seeing on Capitol Hill?

Sometimes, married couple participate in a wedding renewal service.  I have officiated for many of these.  These services remind the couple of the vows they made to each other during their wedding ceremony.  The traditional vows which are still used today in the United Methodist Church offer these words:

"In the name of God, I (Name), take you, (Name), to be my wife/husband, \to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death.  This is my solemn vow."

These are beautiful words, but what does it mean to live them out day after day and year after year?  When I ask couples who come to renew their wedding vows what has helped them the most, they almost always say something about the art of compromise.  So much for the phrase, "Compromise is a dirty word!"

None of this means that compromise is an easy thing.  We all have principles that sometimes conflict with someone else's principles and beliefs.  A very wise friend of mind who is a highly respected pillar in her church has a long history of helping people and groups within the church to find common ground and points of compromise.  She often will pose this question to someone who is bound and determined to not accept any compromise whatsoever.  "(Name), is this really a hill you're willing to die on?"

In case you think that I'm comparing apples to oranges by seeing a parallel between the present political debt ceiling stalemate in DC with disagreements in a marriage, just ask couples who have been married for any length of time.  No matter how much a husband and wife love each other, debates over such things as spending vs. savings or what should go on the grocery list when money is tight will test the marriage covenant.  How couples work through these areas of disagreement will reveal the degree of sincerity of their wedding vows.

So maybe, we need to have Democrats and Republicans renew their past commitment to help bring unity to our fractured and polarized country. 

Compromise isn't a dirty word.
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Across Political Lines

The voters clearly spoke. Cut government spending! But the voters couldn't cast a vote on what programs should be cut. Education? Health services? Military? Social benefits? This article in my local newspaper this morning prompted me to blog on this topic.

What is a politician to do? Reduce taxes? That was decided when our representatives voted to continue the Bush tax cuts.

So we're going down the road of having the government play a smaller role in the affairs of our day to day living. But who is going to pick up the slack?

Regardless of where people lean in this precarious time of political maneuvering, it's an important time for the church and followers of Jesus to step to the plate. First of all, with so much anger, frustration and political posturing, people like never before are in need of hope and a sense of God's peace. Secondly, as the government shrinks, the church needs to find ways to be there for people who will be most impacted by our political decisions.

Yes, personal responsibility is important for people to get on their feet, but in many cases, the solution is a lot more complicated. Case in point - To discover this truth, I invite anyone to hang out at my church during a given week to encounter the many people who stop by looking for help and guidance. In most circumstances, telling someone to be more responsible will not solve the problem. The elderly woman who can't pay her rent because of overwhelming medical bills is a very responsible person but life has thrown her a bad situation and she is facing an eviction. Thankfully, our church is helping her to stay in her apartment...for this month.

The problems and issues facing our country really do cut across political lines. It's not about which party is in power. It's about finding solutions without settling for easy answers.

While politicians and voters argue, flee, shout, and point the finger, the church is called to take a different path - the way of Jesus and the cross.

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Two TVs - One Happy Family

This past week, Penny and I hosted the family for Thanksgiving from Wednesday through Saturday. There were twelve of us of all ages and political leanings.

The tv in one of the rooms was reserved for FOX news watchers while another tv was available for CNN watchers. It was a great compromise!

Yes, there was some good natured ribbing between the blue supporters and the red supporters, but mostly, we simply enjoyed catching up with each other and sharing in some great meals. After watching the painful negative ads from the recent mid-term elections, I'm thinking that both political parties need to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together.

All you need for peace and harmony are two tvs, great food, football, and the game, "Taboo," but most importantly, a prayer before each meal in which God is invited to be present in every conversation.

A belated Thanksgiving to the Nikos reading community!

Politics & Christianity

With political ads on every other commercial, yard signs, candidate phone calls, and slick junk mail, we are reminded that the November elections are just around the corner.

How does our Christian faith relate to the privilege of having the opportunity to vote? Should our Christian witness influence how we vote? If Christians vote based on their faith, then why do some Christians vote one way and other Christians vote the opposite way?

I've heard some Christians claim that unless you vote for a particular political party, you're not really a Christian who upholds the bible. It's my understanding that our country is unique in that a majority of Christians believe that if you are truly a Christian, you will vote a certain way on each and every issue. Christians in other democratic countries tend to allow for a wider umbrella of differences of opinion even regarding the more controversial issues. That's unfortunately not the case here in America.

Regardless of your position on abortion, I have trouble with Christian bumper stickers that try to simplify such a complex issue with one line or phrase. Any intelligent dialogue/debate on such a topic would reveal the many complications and gray issues that surround this issue. Again, it's fine to take a strong stance on this issue, but it's not fine to ignore case by case situations that require discernment and continued prayer on what is the most judicial response in the context of our Christian faith.

If we think about the bible, there are several checks and balances and tensions on various issues that confirm that God's people will not always agree. Depending on the historical time period, the circumstances of the biblical passage, and the intended audience, interpreting the scriptures is not as simple as we might think, but who ever said that our faith is supposed to be a spoon fed faith? So we have the graphic and violent conquest of the people who once inhabited the holy land. Does this mean that today, we can take from others if we believe that God wants us to have land or power?

In the New Testament, we find the early Christian wrestling over the issue of what is required of a Jewish person before becoming a Christian? Do they have to be circumcised? Do they have to follow certain kosher laws? Notice that this issue isn't settled so easily. It first required discernment, debate, and even a heated argument between Paul and Peter!

Over the centuries, the church has relied on prayerful discernment on various issues. So, in the United Methodist Church, we have The Book of Resolutions which is edited every four years by 1,000 representatives (half clergy and half lay) to serve as guidelines for United Methodists in our discernment process regarding over 300 issues.

The Book of Resolutions is a guide to help us know what 1,000 people decided upon after a lot of prayer, study, debate, and discernment. If we don't like the conclusions of the 1,000 people who represent the United Methodist Church, that's fine, but my point is that we shouldn't ignore it.

We've all noticed that our political landscape is becoming more and more polarized year after year, to the point where issues create such a reaction, that the debate can't even get off the ground. Instead of continuing the conversation, the debate ends and we quit listening to each other.

Christians have fed into this polarization through the proof texting of selected verses and by taking shortcuts in the discernment process as if the bible is simply an encyclopedia listing all the questions with the "right" answers. I'm always amazed at how much of the biblical canon is in narrative form which often shows the tensions of various perspectives on important issues related to God's people.

This doesn't mean that this process won't lead us to take strong stances. But it does mean that since we looked at all sides, we will be a whole lot more understanding of people with differing perspectives. And we certainly won't jump to the conclusion that he or she isn't a Christian based on their stance.

I'll Hug Your Elephant If You Kiss...

Yesterday, I was behind a car that had this political statement bumper sticker: "I'll hug your elephant if you kiss my *$#^*. "

I'll let you fill in the blank there which shouldn't be too difficult to figure out. Suffice it to say that this person was not a Republican and was well aware of different words that can be used to describe the symbol of the Democrat Party and the seat portion of the human being.

This bumper sticker is just one example among many of the sharp dividing lines visible on our nation's political landscape. America at its best is a country that is willing to listen to both sides of the debate and make political decisions that will best serve the people of our country and world.

Like politics, the church can too easily fall into labeling, name calling, and closed mindedness when it comes to dealing with issues. Perhaps this is why so much of the Apostle Paul's letters focus on the importance of unity in Jesus Christ in spite of our differences.

A good example of this unity can be seen within the twelve people Jesus chose to be in his inner circle. You would think that Jesus would have picked people who had similar ideas to his, but instead they were often all over the map in terms of their religious viewpoints.

The disciple, Matthew who appears on the church calendar today was a tax collector, a social outcast during the biblical time period. Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the despised Roman Empire to collect taxes for the government and take more than they should for their own pockets.

It would be difficult to imagine this not being an issue with some, if not most of the other twelve disciples, especially with Simon the Zealot (not to be confused with Simon Peter.) If Simon the Zealot was actually connected with the 1st century Zealot movement (similar to our modern day militia groups who are against the government) which he could have very well been since this word is connected to his name, imagine what some of the conversations must have been like between these two guys!

You couldn't have two people at more opposite ends of the political spectrum than Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot.

Even though the disciples often bickered and fought among themselves throughout the gospel accounts, they still displayed a remarkable unity and for the most part, stuck together despite their many differences.

What kept them together was their desire to be followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

I would imagine that during that first year or two, the disciples were tempted to use similar bumper sticker slogans against each other like the one I saw on the back of a car yesterday. How they were able to overcome their differences is an interesting thought. But I'm sure it had something to do with the one who called them to be his disciples.

Kagan's Pending Nomination & Col. Tom Moe

Col. Tom Moe, a member of my church, First UMC in Lancaster, Ohio, testified today in the pending nomination of Elana Kagan to the Supreme Court. Captured in North Vietnam in January 1968, Tom was released in 1973. Two years later he earned a master's degree from Notre Dame, where he eventually served as professor of aerospace studies and commander of the Air Force ROTC program. He retired from the Air Force in fall 1995.

Regardless of the position you may have regarding Elana Kagan's nomination, watch this brief video of Tom Moe's comments today at the hearings in Washington.

Inauguration Day Reflections

Wow! What a euphoric day (regardless of our politic party leanings!) Mostly, I think it's a good thing to sense renewed positive energy in our country but there's a part of me that is more cautious due to the tremendous challenges that our new President now faces.

The day for me began with our weekly church staff meeting in the chapel. Together, we offered our prayers for the new President which included a lengthy and meaningful scripted prayer that I came across on the beliefnet website.

I missed the actual oath part of the ceremony, and found it interesting that the Judge and the President didn't quite get the order of the wording correct. While wanting the day to be flawless, perhaps this awkward and very noticeable misstep is a reminder that it's futile to expect everything to go as planned.

Painful memories of calling a baby to be baptized by the wrong gender pronoun and calling a bride by the groom's first name come to mind! (I won't share all of my foibles but these will do for now!)

Nevertheless, it's a historical day for our country and the world is watching us closely.

One final reflection - the benediction given at the ceremony was amazing. Wow!

President Obama, if you read my blog, here are my words for you this day:

"May God surround and keep you strong as you seek to advance peace and justice throughout the world."

Two Election Day Musts - Vote & Pray

Over the past several months, various Christian/political groups have spoken their mind on who our country should elect as our next president. Some of these groups (many?) have been anything but charitable in their views.

About a month ago, I received an e-mail from one of these organizations encouraging Christians to register to vote. As I read this, I couldn't agree more that it's important for Christians to participate in the voting process. But as the e-mail continued, it went on to explain that Christians should register to vote so that they will be able to vote for the candidate who takes a particular stance on a particular issue. In other words, this Christian organization wanted me to be a single issue voter.

By encouraging me to vote a certain way, this organization was in effect telling me that as a Christian I should discount the stance of my denomination on the issue (United Methodist) and vote the "Christian way." As I got to the bottom of that e-mail, I felt insulted and saddened that the primary purpose of this organization was to point out to me that I'm not a Christian if I don't agree with their particular political stance.

Among my United Methodist pastoral colleagues, I have appreciated hearing differences of opinions on the many political issues that are facing our country (not just one issue!) After leaving these conversations, I sometimes shake my head wondering why they don't share my same political stances on every issue because of course I have all the answers! (Tongue in cheek comment.) What I appreciate most about United Methodists is the openness to hear different viewpoints on the challenges that are facing us and to still see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

During this election process, let's vote for the candidate who we think will best lead our country and let's be in prayer for the voters, the poll workers, and BOTH political candidates.

Election Day Prayer

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Visit with Former US Ambassador Tony Hall

This morning, my daughter, Naomi and I had the privilege to be part of a small group discussion with former US Ambassador Tony Hall regarding the vital issues facing our country and world. Tony wanted to meet with a sampling of religious leaders in the Dayton area to share some of his thoughts with us and to hear our comments and questions.

No longer an Ambassador, he continues to serve his country particularly in the areas of global hunger relief and the Middle East peace process. How's that for your mission in life!

Here are some of the specific things he is doing in these areas:

• Works closely with the organization, "Opportunity International" which provides loans to people living in the poorest nations of the world. Since banks in the third world countries typically only do business with only 5% of the population, this organization provides loans to people who are in desperate need. Interestingly enough, 98% of the loans are paid back in full.


• Regarding peace in the Middle East, he is working hard to include the leading religious officials of several different faith traditions representing these countries to be officially part of the peace process. In the past, it's been primarily the political leaders who come to the table. But in this area of the world where tensions are due to religious differences, it only makes sense to include the major religious leaders. I believe he said that he's traveled to the Middle East 9 or 10 times this past year. He's returning in November.

In addition to sharing what he has been doing since serving as a US Ambassador, Tony Hall also shared what he believes to be the important issues facing our country today:

• The National & Global Hunger crisis. Only 1/2 of 1% of our nation's budget is in the form of foreign aid, but he publicly affirms President Bush's because he has done more for the poor who are overseas than any other US president.


• The health care crisis needs to be addressed. It's wrong that 40 million Americans are uninsured.


• He has been part of a weekly prayer and scripture gathering with members of congress (both Democrat & Republican) every Wednesday at 4 P.M.


• He said that he has been motivated to help end global hunger because there are almost 2,500 verses in the Bible which are about caring for the hungry and those who are poor.

There wasn't a lot of time for Q & A, but I asked Tony Hall this question: "In your experience in working to help end global poverty, what are some positive signs you are seeing in the area of third world debt reduction and elimination?"

His answer: "Eliminating third world debt is making a huge difference in these countries, particularly in countries like Ghana and Mozambique. Our world needs to live out the biblical principle of the 'Year of Jubilee' where debts are forgiven and countries can use this money to provide education and food for their people."

It was an honor to be part of this meeting and to be part of the dialogue.