It’s Election Day Eve in the United States.
At Stand in the Gap, we are grateful for the freedoms that are too easy to take for granted, including the right to vote. As we work to improve the lives of the people we serve by engaging the church and the body of Christ, our true and eternal hope lies in our relationship with God (not in any earthly political figure or system). But in our time on earth, we will vote our conscience, informed by our faith, and in hope of our country being a place of freedom, equality, and justice for all.
Last week at our staff meeting, our Executive Director, Francois Cardinal, shared these words of wisdom from a Franciscan Benediction. We are taking this blessing and prayer with us into this week.
Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort…
Discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
Discomfort, so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger…
Anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
Anger, so that you will work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears…
Tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation and war,
Tears, so that you will reach out to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.
And, may God bless you with foolishness…
Foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
Foolishness, so that you will do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.
