By Mark Azzara
Dear Friend,
I would rather not write about the election but I learned a lot about it from my friend John, who told our Scripture-study group about his assignment to “represent” the United States at his multinational employer’s in-house international day event just two days after the election.
Having heard all the post-election buzz in the cafeteria John and a colleague decided to center their display on previous American elections so that their fellow employees, who come from all over the world, could see how the U.S. has survived previous volatile campaigns and surprising results.
John described his experience during a discussion about Jesus’ message in Luke 21 that we not worry in advance about what to say but let him speak through us to the circumstances of the moment. Jesus wanted to bring calm to that large office building and he did so through John and his colleague.
I also heard Jesus’ calming message in the media – a message that helped me say, “OK, maybe now I get it.”
Writing for Maclean’s, the Canadian news magazine, Jaime Weinman said five clues pointed to how the election would turn out – clues missed or dismissed by the intelligentsia. At least two have deep moral overtones: Voters’ concern about (a.) public funding of abortion; and (b.) threats to religious freedom via the demand that employers, including faith-based nonprofits, financially support birth control as part of their employees’ health-care package.
On PBS News Hour syndicated columnist Mark Shields and The New York Times’ columnist David Brooks said Trump’s election was a populist revolt against the indifference of “the ruling class” to the plight and beliefs of average Americans – a revolt that hints at a much deeper problem in America’s soul.
We should all be concerned with America’s soul – and the souls of all Americans. Regardless of who we voted for, all people of faith must do more than merely hope for the best. We must remind ourselves that God is still in control and pray earnestly, but also calmly, for his control to be made evident in President Trump’s words and actions.
All God’s blessings – Mark
