What If God ...?
11-09-2020
By Brenda Pogue
For days, our fellow country-people, young and old alike, stood in unprecedentedly long lines to exercise our democratic right. When the polls closed, we waited with much anticipation as the suspenseful ballot-counting process slowly unfolded, state by state, count by count. The votes have now been tabulated. A winner has been called. With all of our effort, as the winner was declared, celebration claimed the streets for some. For others, in all of our determination, as the winner was announced, disappointment gripped the air. Despite it all, the deed is done, and a shift looms on the horizon.
As we breathe out a sigh of relief for the end of a hard-fought election, let us breathe in the ever-present hope that aligns itself with change. As we release the challenges that may have come with our participation, let us retain the symbol of freedom that our participation represents. As we resign ourselves to the final outcome, be it bitter or be it sweet, let us rely on the will, the grace, and the promises of God to carry us gently forward. One thing is sure: we do not get a vote in the will of God.
But before we set our sights on images of the future, let us reflect on the interwoven moments that got us to this point. This is, after all, our democratic process, where each citizen across this great nation has a say. Though we may divide down party lines, it is a time when we, the multitude and the multifaceted, are all united as a country as we line up to cast our individual vote.
And though the line was long, there was music, singing, and dancing in the line. While the wait on line was lengthy, there was the sharing of food and goodwill accompanying the wait. There was help for one another as the line inched forward. As the line ebbed and flowed, so too did conversation and camaraderie. There was a common goal within the line, and, though the votes may have been cast differently, there was common good within the line.
There was good in the line. What if God was in the line? For as we queued up to do our democratic duty, did we not also love our neighbor?
