What Fruits Will We Be Known By?

     These are some of my thoughts on the election, as pastorally as I know how to be. I'm going to skip my personal feelings on the candidates and whether or not I believe the candidate who won should have. As a pastor called to share the love of Christ with all I cannot risk disenfranchising anyone; to label myself as Republican or Democrat would risk doing just that for those who see politics differently than I do. I realize, however, that not all pastors believe in this same philosophy (and truthfully, it's been hard to hold myself to it time and time again during this nightmare of an election season).
     I woke up to reading on social media evangelical Christians (pastors included) declaring that "Christianity had won!" in this election. I am not saying that Christians shouldn't be happy about their choice of political candidate having won! I wonder, though, if evangelical Christianity really did "win," though. For every 1 post decrying the success of the Christian right, I saw dozens of posts from individuals who are truly fearful of the new reality that Trump will be the next president of our country.
     Posts from those in the LGBTQ+ community express their fear that they will be treated as second class citizens. So many parents have expressed their concerns of raising daughters in a culture that seems to have validated mistreating women as sexual objects while others are trying to find out how to raise their sons in such a way that they respect women as human beings and children of God. Immigrants are now wondering if they will be ripped from their families. Teachers are wondering how, in light of the election itself, they can teach their preschoolers not to bully one another, that it doesn't "pay off" in the end. Minorities have expressed their fear of racism continuing to grow.
     And some of the responses to these concerns and fears by members of the jubilant Christian right? "It's time for some people to shut up and leave!" and "We are proud!" when concerns of disenfranchisement and rights being encroached upon are courageously shared. I thought we were supposed to be done with the hate of the election cycle, not continuing it the day the election was finished - and for some of these things to be said by those who profess Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior saddens me. Many of these individuals are genuinely good people! When I remember that, I hang my head and find myself repeating Jesus' words in Luke 23:34 as he is hanging on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."
     This isn't meant to be a critique of the winning party's beliefs and policies they have promised to set in motion during the campaign - I am merely stating the concerns of many in our nation as a result of those promises. How these concerns have been responded to does, however, lead to some disconcerting questions concerning the entanglement of Christianity with American politics. If the church truly won this election, why is the resulting fruit of this event fear in the hearts and minds of so many who are not male, straight, and white in America? Why is the result being set in motion that some Christians no longer want to associate themselves with the label "Christian" and would rather be identified as a "Christ Follower?"  If we, as followers of Christ, are supposed to be sharing God's love with all and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, why are so many walking away from the faith? Surely, this isn't the fruit of the Spirit that Paul wrote about.

     Jesus in John 13:34-35 says, "I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other." Please keep in mind, I am not advocating a kind of love that makes them turn away from their beliefs of right and wrong. I am advocating, however, for a love that reaches out to those who are hurting and confused in order to lift them up - after all, this is the kind of love that Jesus advocated for throughout his ministry.

     At the end of the day, if the evangelical church is going to truly "win" this election, then it needs to start practicing its namesake. Taken from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον which means "Good News," we are called to be preaching the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ. If Christianity truly won, then we would be known for our love instead of the hate and intolerance that many are ascribing to us now.
     Fortunately, it's not too late! Regardless of which side you voted for, we can still make sure that Christianity "wins" this election by focusing our thoughts and prayers towards those who are fearful and have lost hope; let us help them find hope in Christ (who I'm fairly confident didn't endorse either candidate, considering that God's Kingdom isn't of this world anyway). Whether your candidate won or lost the election, God is still reigning.
     Let us pray for our newly elected leaders, that their hearts and minds might be open to serving God's purposes for the United States of America. Let us be known by the fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and (even this hard one) self-control.

Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison

Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy,
Lord have mercy.