Looking Up – Love All Our Neighbors Well
I woke up around 3am Wednesday morning and was unable to fall back asleep. As I flipped on my phone in a drowsy state, I saw the election updates and began following it over the next few hours until the race was called. As the day went on, I saw responses from friends across social media ranging from shocked to rejoicing to solemn. What encouraged me most was the number of posts pointing to the One who is sovereign over every election. I saw this liturgy by Every Moment Holy shared by a number of friends:
A Liturgy for Election Day
If we are pleased with the results of
today’s election, let us yet in humility
remember that every earthly authority
must one day give way to your eternal rule—
so let us in grace love all our neighbors well.
Or, if we are disappointed, let us resist all
fear, anger, accusation, and bitterness,
but instead renew our trust in you—
and let us in grace love all our neighbors well.
Whatever the outcome of this election,
let our citizenship and our hope be rooted
first in your heavenly kingdom,
that we might live in exile here
as winsome ambassadors
of our soon-returning King—
always in grace loving all our neighbors well.
I found this so grounding in the midst of such a contentious election. Our soon-returning King is the Lamb of God who will soon bring us home to God. Regardless of how you voted and how you feel about the outcome, one clear way we can entrust ourselves to the Lamb is to love our neighbors well. This world is not our home. It will soon pass away and be made new, but God just might use our gracious love of our neighbors to make them our forever neighbors.
Blessings,
Sarah Beam