-
October 23, 2020It is Christ who is our peace, and who made the two of us one by breaking down
the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. – Ephesians 2:14
As we move towards the end of this election season – Praise God, I found the passage that we read from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians at Mass on Tuesday Morning to be helpful. It is faith in Christ that dissolves the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. Together they form God’s
Household in Christ who is their peace.
In walking around the island, I came across a duplex that was a house divided. On the left porch was a sign for Joe Biden and on the right porch was a sign for Donald Trump. I know the family who lives on the right side and I’ve no doubt that being good Christians, they are at peace with their neighbors. My hope is as Christians no matter what our political views may be, we will always have a sense that we are one in Christ. I shared this thought while walking with Jim Miller on Wednesday and he told me about the following article from the WSJ.
“The Mitchells, lifelong Democrats, planted a Joe Biden sign in the front yard of their suburban Pittsburgh home. The Gateses, who live next door and are lifelong Republicans, put a Donald Trump sign in theirs. Another homemade sign stands in each yard. It reads: “We (Heart) Them” with an arrow pointing to the other house. In the middle of each heart are the words “One Nation.”
“There’s so much hate,” says Chris Senko Mitchell, who came up with the idea. “We want to send a message.” The message, say members of the Mitchell-Gates households, is this: People on opposite ends of the political spectrum can actually like each other and be civil.
The question, for many people, is how…
The Mitchells—Stuart and Chris—and the Gateses—Bart and Jill—met 14 years ago on their suburban street in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., and quickly bonded…
“They are pretty far left, and we are pretty far right,” says Jill. So how do they get along?
They don’t argue. They don’t label each other. They listen to each other’s perspective, look for common ground and recognize that reasonable and good people can reach different conclusions. “I think it boils down to respect,” says Chris. “We have no desire or illusion that we are going to change them or each other’s minds.””
I’m excited that next Saturday, October 31st, we’ll be starting up an RCIA program in the Parish Meeting Room at 9am. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please let me know. 706-267-1073
Next Sunday, November 1st, marks the end of day light savings time. So, we are going to take our Praise and Worship Service out into the Churchyard and christen our new outdoor lighting with lots of joyful music and some wine and cheese. Bring a lawn chair and if it gets cool bring a blanket and be prepared to enjoy some good fellowship while maintaining social distancing. Costumes are optional.
Taking Home the Word: Write down the ways you showed love for God and others this past week. Thank God for your efforts and give him the credit. How will you pay it forward again this week?
