It’s the morning after. The sun rose just as it always does…and it will rise again tomorrow. But for some, it doesn’t shine quite as bright as it did the day before yesterday. Some of us are happy right now…some are not. Some of us see a bright future ahead…some of us see darkness, uncertainty, and fear. Some of us feel like all is right with the world…some feel like the world is spinning out of control. Some of us are looking for the silver lining…some of us are just plain angry, frustrated, and sick of it all. How do we move forward in a time like this?
When he was elected to his second term as President, Abraham Lincoln, gave his second inaugural address in the midst of a nation torn apart by civil war…her people divided. These were his words: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.”
I would suggest that no matter your party or politics, this is the work we must engage in now. Binding up the wounds and working for healing in our nation can only be done through kindness, compassion, humility, respect, and love. The future will be what we make it…and what it looks like depends on all of us working together.
As Jesus-followers, we are commanded to love…even when loving is hard. To love without conditions, without reservations, and without malice, because that is how God loves us. But loving also means holding one another accountable…calling out injustice…standing up for those who can’t stand for themselves…being the voice of the voiceless…advocating for those on the margins…seeking to preserve the rights of all people to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
As we navigate the days ahead, whether the conflicts are personal, political, or social, may we love as we’ve been loved…not superficially, but with a deep, abiding love that reflects the heart of Christ…even if it means loving our enemies and those we disagree with…even when it’s not returned. May we be patient and kind, forgiving and hopeful, always seeking to build bridges and tear down walls. “With malice toward none and charity for all,” may we move forward in love, in faith, and in hope.