People of Hope,
Over the course of the last few weeks, millions of Americans across the United States and stationed around the world participated in our national elections. For many of us, there was a mix of anxiety, hope, and skepticism surrounding the entire affair. As the election comes to a conclusion, those same feelings apply, but in different amounts depending on who we are. For many of us, as the results of our presidential election have been updated since the polls have closed, fear and frustration has taken the lead. For others, there is newfound optimism and perhaps a feeling of a wrong being made right. I am hopeful that despite our political differences, we as a community can and will center ourselves on what is truly important.
First and foremost, a reminder that at our core is a faith and reliance on the cross of Christ above all things. It is Jesus, the Son of God, to whom we belong, and to whom we owe ultimate allegiance. We are not saved by earthly rulers. Neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump can bring us salvation. That is the purview of God and God alone. But because we are a people of faith who belong to the lamb, we must live out our lives in certain ways. We must be people who care for the sick. We must be people who clothe the naked. We must be people who welcome the stranger. We must be people who feed the hungry and bring water to the thirsty. We must tend to the captive. As people who are claimed by God, this is who we are called to be, and that is true regardless of who our earthly leaders are. The charge to love our neighbor carries no qualifiers. And that also means loving the neighbor who you may disagree with today.
So today, as we navigate our new reality, whether it personally brings you joy or anguish, I invite you to be who you were called to be. Be who you were made to be – Esperanza, a people of hope. Today, I invite you, to let hope in – not for yourself, but for somebody else. Be that presence of hope for another who desperately needs it. Be hope for the long list of people who worry if they have a place at our national table any longer. Because here in this place, at this table, all are welcome. The work of hope continues now. May we each find ways to bring hope to those who are lost in the season ahead.