Disciple: Seeing the Person Before Us
By Bishop Sam Rodman
Beloved members of the Diocese of North Carolina, as I write this article, the presidential election is still a few weeks away, but as you read this, it has already occurred. This time warp, if you will, invites me to offer some thoughts, speaking from this side of the election, that I hope will bring you some clarity and comfort on the other side of November 5.
As I write, the polls are saying the race for president is extremely close and could go either way. If the polls are accurate, what it means is that roughly half of the people in the United States will be disappointed no matter what the election outcome. I should add that in a race this tight, it may take longer to determine the actual winner. We have seen this happen before, most recently in 2000 and 2020.
The closeness of the presidential race and the rampant efforts to divide us make a post-election pastoral response more complicated and nuanced. My sincere hope is that as you read this, the election has been called and the results accepted by all. I pray that all those elected to office understand the awesome responsibility put before them and see their election for what it is: an obligation to serve, not an opportunity for personal gain or power, or a weapon to be used against enemies, real or perceived. I pray every elected official will choose to put aside the vitriolic rhetoric put forth during the campaign and recognize that the polarization of parties, the intentional dividing of citizens and the refusal to recognize election results threaten the very democracy that elected them to office.
I pray that every one of our elected officials works to preserve our democracy, build bridges amongst one another and serve the welfare of all its citizens. But no matter the post-election landscape, as disciples and followers of Jesus, we all have a role to play in the healing of our nation, and there are several values that remain clear and will serve us well in the months and years to come.
First, our hope is in God, not in any political leader or political party. Second, when a nation is as deeply divided as ours is right now, the need for prayer for one another is paramount. Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies. While it may be painful to think of our fellow citizens as our enemies, the caustic rhetoric and apparent difficulty in finding common ground between the two political parties is and will be an ongoing challenge, no matter which candidate wins the presidency. Third, compassion for those who are vulnerable means that “winners” need to turn their hearts and attention to those who are disappointed, dismayed, and even disillusioned or frightened by the election results.
JESUS’ MODEL
In reaching out to our neighbors who are feeling some of these emotions, it may be helpful to follow a few pastoral guidelines that are always valuable when sitting with someone who is hurting.
- Prioritize listening, rather than speaking. Create a safe space for the person to express what is on their heart. Give them an opportunity to articulate their frustrations and fears without trying to address or deny their feelings. In addition, deep listening not only builds our sense of empathy, it points us to places of connection and understanding and can even help us to find some common ground.
- Remember that no candidate can solve all the problems or heal all the divisions that have pulled us apart in recent years.
- Polarization is, in itself, a misleading and disruptive dynamic. Avoid generalizations about one party or the other. Do not react or overreact if someone tries to play this game.
- Consider responding with questions rather than answers to another person’s questions. Jesus was very good at this!
- Remember that a person’s choice or opinion comes from their own experience or circumstances, which may be very different from your own. Try to see things from their perspective; you may not come to agree with their choice, but you may be able to understand why they made it.
- Again, prayer is a great strategy when stepping into uncomfortable conversations. Pray before, during and after your conversation.
Jesus models, again and again in the New Testament, how to navigate difficult encounters with grace and wisdom. Jesus also demonstrates that even when we disagree, showing our love to and for another person is part of what it means to respect the dignity of every human being. In fact, reading the baptismal covenant is one way we might prepare ourselves for these encounters or conversations.
In that same spirit, let’s remember that every person is a beloved child of God, no matter their political persuasion, their party loyalty, who they voted for, or their deeply held political ideology or identity. In other words, let our focus be on the person before us in these conversations, not on the larger collective or affiliation with which they may be associated. This helps to ground the conversation in the relationship you share with the other person.
OUR UNCHANGED MISSION
Our mission, as the church, remains unchanged before, during and after the current election season. We are here to build beloved community, to build up one another in love, to speak out against hateful and violent rhetoric and action, and to stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable, especially those who are being targeted or dehumanized by careless and hateful words or actions.
We recognize our democracy is imperfect and our divisions are a symptom of a deeper dynamic that is bringing about anxiety, even as it opens doors and widens the tent. As the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement, one of our mantras has long been, “The Episcopal Church welcomes you.” More recently, we have added “No exceptions.”
Could this post-election season be our opportunity to extend that welcome to the next level: to offer this hospitality “not only with our lips, but with our lives”? Could this be our moment to take the next step on our journey and say: The Episcopal Church walks with you. No exceptions?
Walking is a metaphor that is central and essential in the biblical narrative, whether in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening or wandering in the wilderness with Moses in search of the Promised Land. Jesus’ entire public ministry was accomplished mostly on foot, except for a couple of crossings by boat on the Sea of Galilee (and even here he sometimes went on foot). At the end of his public ministry, Jesus walks the way of the cross to save us from sin and death and to heal our divisions.
Building Beloved Community begins with accompaniment, with walking the way of love and coming alongside our neighbor, or the stranger. It means seeing the presence and face of God in every person. It means recognizing that we are each made in God’s image, and we all belong to one another.
Bishop Sam Rodman is the XII bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.
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