It’s been a challenging time for all of us. We are weary with the pandemic and the restrictions imposed on us and there doesn’t seem to be any quick end in sight. On Sunday, we remembered the lives of those in our congregation and friends and family who have died this past year. As the worship service concluded in the sanctuary, the peal bells 135 times in memory of the135 known deaths from COVID-19 in Frederick County. Although we may not know someone directly who has gotten sick or even died from the virus, these are our neighbors. On the afternoon and early evening of Election Day, the church will be open for those who wish to pray or reflect on where we are as a nation.
I served as an election judge for two days of early voting. They were long days that started at 6 AM and didn’t finish until after 9 PM. I got to see folks from all over Frederick Count exercising their right and duty as citizens to make their voice heard and cast their vote. No matter how the election turns out, the real work of governing and making a better nation will be before us. Leadership is not about winning an election but rather finding ways to make the nation better for all and our national government has not been doing a very good job of that for some time. We are going to have lots of days ahead of us when one group or the will feel deeply disappointed or upset. People in every group will most likely feel that feeling. But we will still need to find a way to move forward. Better to find a way to do this together.
As followers of Jesus, our jobs is not to fight and see our opponents defeated, but rather to bear witness to the one who is the way, the truth and the life.