I don’t know about you but in so many ways I find myself looking toward the future. My faith tells me that the present time, the present moment, holds a sufficient amount of hope, of stress, of sorrow, and of joy. My faith tells me to remain faithful in prayer and in works of charity, to stay constant in my call, along with all Christians to proclaim the good news of the Gospel: to work with diligence to bring the kingdom of God here on earth as God created It in heaven. My task the task of all Christians is certainly sufficient for the moment.
As I began though, I find myself looking toward the future. One of those longings I must admit is the longing for the cooler less humid weather of the Fall. These past weeks have caused me to have a renewed respect for the power of weather, both to water the land as well as the unrelenting power of the winds and rain. On such days I have a longing for the cooler evenings, that autumnal blue sky, the crisp days of fall.
The other longing for future aims in November. With two ballots now created and in front of us, I feel this sort of dread as the rancor begins. The debate of good policy, the exchange of constructive ideas, the bold conversation about how we as a Nation move forward that is something that is good for us. Such honest seeking of a path forward with liberty and justice for all, that is the foundation of our country. It is the rest of it that makes my stomach sort of churn.
As people who live in a political world, the challenge I believe is to use our faith as our cornerstone. The prophet Micah tells us, “and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I look to such a mandate as I approach commercials, signage along our roads, debates, news programs. It is a lot and something we cannot escape. How does my faith lead me to conversation and actions which embrace justice and mercy and allow me with an open heart to walk humbly with my God?
I have no illusion that this will be easy. I do know that it is easy to be pulled down. I also know that with our eyes uplifted to our God we can each do amazing things respecting every human being as God’s beloved.
The day, each moment is full. The workings of the world always surround us. As good and faithful people have always done, we are called to keep our eyes and hearts focused on our God. Hold on tight. The next weeks will be quite a journey, but our faith, our faith in a loving and justice God, will bring us to the other side: a place with cooler weather and beyond the fray of the election season.