Bishop’s Reflection, Post-Election
For St. Paul, writing to the early Christians was profoundly important. In his writing to the Colossian disciples, he weaves a stunning poem into his letter (Colossians 1:15-20):
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross”.
It’s a beautiful poem like no other in the New Testament about how incomparable Jesus is. He is the visible likeness of the invisible God, showing us who God is and what God is like, because God lived fully in him (v.19). It’s a poem about what Jesus achieved in his life, death and resurrection, ‘reconciling all things to himself, making peace through the blood of his cross’ (v.20). These were truths that the Colossian Christians may well have known, yet they always needed to be reminded of them.
The often hidden, deeper truth that the poem surprises us with (though perhaps it shouldn’t) is that Jesus Christ was not some latecomer in cosmic history. No, ‘in him all things were created… things seen and unseen… created through him and for him’. Echoing words that other Jewish writers had used to describe the Wisdom of God, Paul places Jesus at the heart of God’s original creative work and the architect of Salvation History.
With this scriptural passage as our theme, we cannot and must not deny the joy or pain or disillusionment or hope for our nation’s future that some of our colleagues are experiencing now, as individuals, communities, and nations. But whatever has gone wrong or right, depending on the interpretation from an individual’s perspective, it is obvious we are at a crossroad. And, whenever we arrive at a crossroad, decisions need to be made, first by assessing the situation and secondly as Christians to pray for the most appropriate and humanly caring decisions that advance the integrity of humans created in the image and likeness of God. Ideally, loving the neighbor as the holy other is the biblical option. By God’s grace, we hope and pray as a nation that we live up to the ideals and core values enshrined by the founding fathers and mothers.
Conflict and disagreement should be dealt with healthily and gracefully by promoting and maintaining the dignity of all God’s creation. Life shouldn’t be about winning but about redemption and wholesomeness. This is our calling regardless and anything short of this pursuit is the alternative force to the one holy catholic and eternal Savior’s mission.
As the baptized of God, we have a God -given responsibility to pray for everyone and every outcome whether we approve of it or not. The people of our beloved United States of America have made their choice for our nation’s leadership and that choice is sacrosanct. The Apostle Paul in the Letter to the Romans Chapter 13: 1-7 enjoins us to respect and honor the authority placed over us and infers that God ultimately has the final authority. As beloved of this diocese, I am recommending our churches, if you haven’t already done so, to include President-elect Donald in the Prayers of the People effective immediately.
The God Jesus reveals to us is only ever good, and what he created was good in the beginning. The one through whom the world was made is the same one through whom and to whom it has been reconciled.
Let’s be mindful, that at a time such as this Jesus calls us to be attentive to the seeds of reconciliation. We are to watch carefully for signs of where God is already at work in the broken places of the world, and where people of goodwill begin to respond to the call to join in with the God who is always ready to get God’s hands dirty. And as we watch and nurture those seeds, within ourselves and those around us, the call is for us, too, to join in, take risks, enter the reality we seek to see transformed, and get our hands dirty. Reconciliation is not yet fully complete, and it is that fully restored creation which we long and pray for at all times and seasons. Let us not deny the pain experienced by some of our beloved sisters and brothers, but for all concerned to set aside all potential reprisals replacing them with tolerance, respect for the dignity of each person’s right to freedom to choose. Let love and forgiveness be our ‘watch words’ and Christan goals. Our God is a second chance God; a God of new beginnings. We pledge as Christians to recommit to the core values of our faith and give GRACE and MERCY a chance to reign abundantly.
Peace be still!
Every blessing!
+San