Pastoral
Letter November 9, 2016
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Adventers woke today to beautiful blue
skies and radiant sunlight in central Tennessee. For some, the weather was a confirmation of
their feelings regarding this presidential election; for others, the weather
served much the same purpose as the rainbow in the sky. We were reminded once again that God is still
The Lord, that Jesus still reigns as King, and that there is nothing new under
the sun.
To say that this election season has been
incredibly divisive is perhaps one of the greatest understatements I may ever
write. For starters, seasons last only a
few months. This election cycle has been
waged since at least December of 2014, though some pundits would point out it
began the day after Obama defeated Romney in November 2012. It is, therefore, no small wonder that we are
tired, on our last nerve, or simply wanting the election to be over. And when we consider the vitriol that has
been flung through the airwaves, our Facebook feeds, our Twitterverses, and the
blogosphere with respect to the candidates, divisive just does not seem to
describe adequately the chasms between “us’s” and “them’s” created during this
campaign.
Now we have a new President-elect. Some Adventers are happy, either because
their candidate won on the other candidate lost. Some Adventers are sad because their
candidate of choice lost. Still other
Adventers are disappointed simply because they could not support either
candidate. I know these emotions are raw
and strong right now. It is precisely
for that reason that I needed to pen this note.
As raw and strong-feeling as we may be
right now, Adventers know that this is not the end for which we labor. Whether a Democrat or Republican or
third-party candidate resides in the White House, our Lord Christ still sits on
the throne! We know that our real
citizenship is elsewhere, even as we love our country and work to fulfill our
Lord’s Prayer and work that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Many of our friends, family members, and
co-workers, however, do not share that same faith. As we look around and listen to the opinions
being expressed today and in the days and weeks to come, we may hear talk
ranging from triumphalism to despondency regarding the new President-elect. Let me remind each one of us that we are
ambassadors for the King. Let us respond
to the hurt, the fear, the sense of triumph, the anger, and whatever else we
encounter with His heart and His mind.
One of the primary roles of the Church has been to embrace the
marginalized and to draw them into the embrace of Christ, even as She has been
called to remind the self-sufficient that their path is one of pitfall and
disappointment.
As this election season fades, we
Adventers find ourselves about to embark on our season, a season of both remembrance and anticipation, the
season when we remind ourselves and others that the Lord has come and will come
again to consummate His eternal kingdom.
As such, we will be looking both back in history, reminding of what God
has done, and forward, reminding us what He has promised to do. As such, you and I are uniquely equipped
within the Church to speak into those lives strongly affected by yesterday’s
outcome.
We know that rulers, no matter how
horrible or how good, are mortal and do not last. We know that each of us, each and every
single person on this earth, is loved by God, “stamped” with His image, and
called to eternal life with Him. And we
know that God can redeem all things.
The Church, as nearly every demographic in
this election cycle, has been dragged through the muck and mire of this
election process. The pundits and
politicians have tried hard to sully her, and in the eyes of many they have
succeeded. You and I have a unique
opportunity, though, to listen with His ears, to understand with His heart, and
to speak His hope into the lives of others, thereby demonstrating His love and
grace and hope to a people desperately in need to know that someone cares, that
someone hears, and that someone loves.
What
can we do? Listen. We have two ears and
one mouth. Let’s try to listen twice as
much as we speak. Let’s pray that God
gives us the ears to hear what it is that is causing the emotions in the heart
of the other. Pray. Our Lord Christ
instructed us to pray for our enemies and to pray for our leaders. Can we not do at least that much for our
fellow citizens who simply align themselves politically in a way different than
we choose? Invite. To understand
others, we need to get to know them. Why
not share a cup of coffee, a meal, an activity, or even a worship service? Love. Remember, we are about drawing others into
His saving embrace. If we know Him and
believe His words to be true, we should comport ourselves with a joy and
freedom and hope that causes others to seek the cause within us. If they flee us, if they reject us, we need
to be prayerfully discerning whether our behavior aligns with our words,
whether we reflect a God who came to earth, died and was buried, and who rose
again instructing all who call Him Lord to preach Him and His saving work to
the ends of the earth that all might live with Him eternally! That, my brothers and sisters, is our
platform and our calling.
As always, Holly† and I invite your
conversations, your observations, and even your ventings. If you feel you need to talk, to theorize, to
cry on a shoulder, or to howl at the moon, give us a call or drop by to see us!
In Christ’s Peace,
Brian
McVey†
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