A Pastoral Note on the End of the 2024 Election Season

All Saints Sunday | November 3, 2024

Dear Ones,

We continue to hear from many of you about your anxieties for the end of our election season. As a “swing state,” we have been blanketed by advertisements and commercials, inundated by phone calls and text messages, and visited by the major candidates more times than some of us would like to count.

Our state’s flurry of political activity has made clear that our country and culture are very divided right now. These divisions may be felt in our neighborhoods, rec leagues, jobs, schools, churches, and even our families. People from all parts of the political spectrum view this particular election as life or death.

It is okay for your heart to feel heavy. For your mind to be exhausted. And for you to feel the weight of your anxieties in this election. It is okay to be overwhelmed. 

As we write this letter, there are poll workers in Vancouver, Washington who are painstakingly combing through burnt ballots, in the hopes that they will be able to identify persons whose right to vote was almost stolen from them.

Here in Georgia, our courts and our state election officials are working hard to counter misinformation and foreign threats. 

All across the country, there are thousands of people knocking on doors, calling and texting folks, organizing rides to the polls, and more in support of their party and candidates.

This is the work of democracy. May we protect it. 

May we also acknowledge that our faith in God is(and should be) greater than our faith in any candidate, party, or platform. Existing in the already and not yet is hard. Believing in a bright and wonderful end while living through difficult times is not easy. And yet…

Whether our preferred candidates or parties win or lose on Tuesday, God’s call for the world remains the same:

Do Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with God. 

That’s what the Lord requires of us. May we accept that obligation.

While there is great significance attached to Election Day, ultimately the work of our democracy and faith doesn’t rest on one day alone.

Each day, we are given opportunities to bend more towards justice and mercy, to reject cynicism and fear, and to sow seeds of love.

It’s that kind of work that builds a more just world for all. That work is carried out by ordinary people who dare to believe that we have a stake in the work of God and Christ.

Tuesday may be a day of jubilation or deep lament. While we pray for peace, violence is not out of the question. Although we hope to know the election results quickly and confidently, it may take several days before the results are clear.

In the in-between times, please take care of yourself. If you need to turn off the tv or radio, log out of Facebook or Twitter, or ignore a text from that one friend who keeps trying to engage in a debate… do that.

Go for a walk. Break bread with friends. Take a nap. Read a book. Sing a song. Pray.

May God grant us peace and calm in the days ahead. May we have the courage to face whatever challenges may come with the strength of our faith and the teachings of our tradition.

Even in our bleakest moments, there is room for hope. Resurrection is just around the corner.

If this election is life or death, remember that death does not have the last word.

If you haven’t yet voted, and you’re able to do so, please exercise that privilege on Tuesday.

You can visit the GA My Voter Page to find your polling precinct.

Our Sanctuary will be open on Tuesday from 9am – 4pm. If you would like to come and light a candle or sit in our worship space, you’re more than welcome to do so.

If you missed or want to rewatch our Faith & Democracy or All Saints services, you can watch them here: Recent Services

Praying for a more just world for all,

Rev. Liz and Rev. Thomas