Do Unto Others Worship Series & Campaign for Kindness

Dear Church,

For the last year, I have prayed about how to address this challenging election season as a church. We are a politically mixed congregation. I also hear over and over again how tired we are of the polarization in our country. Our world seems to be consumed with division – often typified in the colors red and blue. 

I do not "preach politics," meaning I do not discuss candidates from the pulpit and I rarely discuss specific policies. I do believe, however, that the Gospel is inherently political, meaning that it is concerned with the application of political power toward God's vision of a just and merciful world. And I also believe that the Christian political witness begins and ends with us as individuals. Is our commitment to the Gospel transforming how we engage with each other in the political sphere?

Rather than stay in our monochromatic silos, the Golden Rule in scripture (Luke 6:31) challenges us to engage in conversation and seek to create whatever common good we can with our relatives, friends, and neighbors who we might consider to be on the “other side” politically and ideologically. As we attempt to come together, the idea is not that we are obliterating either one or trying to change each other, but rather we discover the beauty that can be created when we work together to make the world a better place. The “purple space” is where we cultivate kindness, compassion, humility, respect, and love for one another and for the good of all the world, no matter what.

Our Christian character is the starting point for our Christian witness. This Sunday we will begin a five week worship series and Campaign for Kindness intended to help form us in that Christian character. Whether we identify as red, blue, purple, or none of the above, we are all called to be people of kindness, compassion, humility, respect, and love. These are the characteristics of a citizen of the kingdom of God, which is our eternal nationality.

See you on Sunday,

Pastor Amanda