Praying Into an Emerging Landscape

A Post-Election Reflection

by Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

Shock. Jubilation. Tears. Fear. Anger. Joy. Dread. These are just some of the reactions I have witnessed from Christians to our country’s recent presidential election.

Some see this election as a direct answer to prayer. Others view it as a victory for bullies and racists. Some regard it as a triumph for pro-lifers. Some feel more secure after this election. Others fear for their very lives.

A tragic consequence of these divisions is the inability of people on each side to hear the concerns of those who disagree with them. One of the reasons angry demonstrations have broken out in some of our cities is the fear that under a Trump presidency, our society will become less fair, less just, less welcoming, and more divided than ever. Most people voted for their candidate out of deep personal convictions, and, aided by angry campaign rhetoric, see those from the other side not as fellow citizens, but as enemies. Scorched-earth politics have burned our country, and we need to be healed.

A divided nation needs a united church. Can we, the church, be a haven of civility, a place where conversations on race, gender, and class can occur in the light of the gospel? Can we, the church, be a place where people of all races and classes are not only welcomed but also elected into positions of responsibility and hired as staff?

This cannot be about words alone. In our divided country, the church needs to publicly demonstrate the unity of the King who brings together “every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9b).

A divided nation needs a listening and praying church. We need a church that hears and prays for the heart-needs of all her members, not just the majority. We need a church that sees prayer as a vocation and actively intercedes for our nation and the world. We need a church that welcomes all people to come together at the foot of the cross – not to become like the people with whom we disagree, but together, to be made more like Jesus.

To the extent that we have imbibed this political anger and counted fellow citizens or even church members as enemies, we need to repent and ask God to form us into the body of his Son.

Now is the time to beat our swords into plowshares.

Almighty God, whose Son, Jesus Christ, gave his life for his bride, the church, forgive us and cleanse us, we pray. May whatsoever in your church that has been stained or defiled by the craft of Satan or by human malice be purified by your abiding grace, that your church, purged from all pollution, may be restored, sanctified, and united in witness to your love, to the glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.