As I am sure many of you did, I watched the news yesterday with a mix of patriotism, awe, and a little anxiety.  After the events on January 6, I was grateful that the transition of power of a duly elected official continued without violence, even if it did not begin that way.  I was particularly moved by Lady Gaga’s singing of the national anthem (I love Lady Gaga!), and most of all the poem read by Amanda Gorman.  Oh how I wish I was a poet!  And thank God we have people who are so gifted with words that they can express our most sincere desires and hopes.  If you have not listened to her, I encourage you to do so here.  But perhaps the moment that really got me was when the poem turned into a pretty good sermon: “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”  

                Immediately, Jesus’s words from the Sermon on the Mount came to mind: “You are the light of the world...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) My friends, go be light.  Go be salt.  Go be a loving God incarnate in this world.  Resist violence and hatred, lean into compassion and sympathy.  Help be the repairers of the breach, starting in our country, seeking both the right and the truth, while loving others at the same time.  That’s God’s work.  

In Christ, 
Jesse+