God, election day is near.
I have fears and worries.
Dark thoughts keep me up in the night.
The world seems fraught and fragile.
I feel defensive, guarded, on edge.
I am protecting
the vulnerable parts of myself,
and thinking of the future I want for those I love:
safety and inclusion,
purpose and connection,
mutuality and joy,
a life with hope.
But I’m convinced this future is under threat.
So I keep listening to the voices, and watching the screens,
that repeat back to me
my fears and worries.
At first, this helps.
My fears are justified! My worries are validated!
But mostly it brings despair.
And I stay defensive, guarded and on edge.
And the world seems fraught and fragile.
And dark thoughts keep me up in the night.
God, election day is near.
The people I don’t trust, don’t agree with, and don’t know:
They have fears and worries.
Dark thoughts keep them up in the night.
The world seems fraught and fragile.
They feel defensive, guarded, on edge.
They are protecting
the vulnerable parts of themselves,
and thinking of the future they want for those they love:
safety and inclusion,
purpose and connection,
mutuality and joy,
a life with hope.
But they’re convinced this future is under threat.
So they keep listening to the voices, and watching the screens,
that repeat back to them
their fears and worries.
At first, this helps.
Their fears are justified! Their worries are validated!
But mostly it brings despair.
And they stay defensive, guarded and on edge.
And the world seems fraught and fragile.
And dark thoughts keep them up in the night.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy on us all.
No matter what we do or don’t do,
no matter what happens in our lives,
or what unfolds in all human history,
this remains true:
all people belong to you
and all people belong to each other.
We repeatedly forget this,
we skillfully deny this,
we frequently violate this,
and we blatantly ignore this,
But our belonging to you and each other
never stops being true.
Lord, may I bravely embrace it.
Make me open. Generous. Kind. Free.
This election day and beyond,
Help me to love
all my siblings in this vast, diverse nation.
Love my neighbors, whose lives touch close up,
and love the strangers to whom I also belong,
as I love my own scared and anxious soul.
Not because any of us deserves it,
more or less than anyone else,
but because you love us all,
first, last, and always.
This election day and beyond,
and no matter what happens after,
held in your love and trusting your belonging,
may my life contribute to
safety and inclusion,
purpose and connection,
mutuality and joy,
a life with hope
for all.
Amen.
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