New Leadership, Same Doctrine
We woke up on Wednesday morning to new leadership in the highest office in
our land. Some were pleased with the outcome, others were disappointed, but one thing
has not changed: we are still one nation under God and one church rooted in faith.
Throughout my ministry at Oak Chapel, I have been intentionally apolitical, and I
will continue to follow that practice, but sometimes pastors fail to speak up and speak
out about issues outside of the four walls of the church when they really should be
vocal.
Obviously politics and faith intersect in many unavoidable ways, but today, I want
to remind all of us about the importance of unity. Satan seeks to divide and conquer,
and he has been very successful with that strategy in recent years. In order to combat
that, we need to engage in open dialogue with one another so that we can at least
respect the right of others to express their opinion.
For spiritual wisdom on this matter, we turn to Scripture, and it is there that we
find wisdom in this passage from Romans 12:16, 21, which encourages us to “live in
harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim
to be wiser than you are. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Remember, Jesus instructed us to love our neighbor, but he never said we have
to agree with them on every issue. Let us go forth this week in peace, respect,
understanding, and forgiveness as we seek to find common ground while preserving our
right to practice our faith with confidence and joy.