By: Richard Lichty

Richard Lichty — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 19:34:18 +0000

My response I shared at 5 a.m. with my children and their families, the morning after the election:
“As I awoke this morning, turned on the TV about an hour and half ago, and saw that the United States elected Donald Trump, the temptation to think the darkest thoughts began to cross my mind. However, there is one thought, though not so much a positive one, but it is a HOPEFUL one from many places in the ancient scriptures, such as Psalm 146, ‘Do not put your trust in princes in whom there is no help.’
“I am not yet ready to opt out of the political system here in our country. Within the political world, there may be a countering spirit and force that will emerge somehow, somewhere to limit the dark and deadly forces that have been unleashed in this election cycle; I have no idea about that but I no longer simply trust the political realm to do that.
“The reason I say this is because the calming spirit that I am beginning to feel does not come from anything “out there,” nothing outside of me. It comes from within. Admittedly, it does come with a true sense of admonishment for the fact that I have not been consciously aware that I had “put my trust in princes.” For a child of God/Love, it can be an insidious thing, to be lured into thinking that true hope and happiness is attainable outside of Love itself.
“I am also feeling a sense of peace and hope because of the opposite thing I can do, opposite from “putting my trust in princes.” There is a source of strength that cannot be quenched, a fountain of love that cannot be depleted, a reservoir of peace that is without measure. However you name it–God, Love, Truth, Spirit–this is the ultimate source, and the fountain, and the reservoir in which we live. All of us live in this whether we know it or not; whether it is realized or recognized or not; whether it is even desired.
“All of creation, every living creature, all human beings, yes, even Donald Trump, lives within the realm of God/Love/Truth/Spirit. For this is not something that depends on our ‘making it happen’; it is not anything that we need to or even can strive for. It is there for me to simply recognize and yield to unreservedly. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, who writes a daily meditation that I usually read every morning said it this way earlier this week, ‘The full Gospel (that simply means, good news) takes away from you any power to decide and discriminate where God is and where God isn?t.’
“This gospel is not the private possession of any single person, any religion, any group, nation, race, etc. It belongs to all of us, yes, even the animals and plant life (it is intuitive in their nature!).
“So, this good news that Love embodies, will harbor no plans for building walls, pitting classes or nations against each other, or have competing games of who is better or who is right, etc. Dad”\
I remain in this desire to live within, and daily access this Love.

By: D. Michael Hostetler

D. Michael Hostetler — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 18:20:42 +0000

It’s hard to say. I believe Pastor Byrd’s comment is on target: our hope does not lie in what happens on the political front. Our first calling as followers of Jesus is to be faithful to what he teaches us through the Gospels and what he calls us to as his followers regardless of where the political winds are blowing.

By: Sam Hatfield

Sam Hatfield — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 15:14:55 +0000

What would be your response/documentary if Hillary Clinton elected?

Comments on: Election documentary ‘Hope Was Not On The Ballot’ explores the promise of Christian witness in tumultuous times

By: Richard Lichty

By: D. Michael Hostetler

By: Sam Hatfield