Perhaps it’s been long enough now — long enough for many of us to begin moving forward after the surprising presidential election results. What’s your spiritual process been so far?
Those serving as pastors had to be ready to preach the Sunday after Wednesday morning election results. This forced many to get themselves to a good space — or at least good enough. In a gathering, one pastor remarked they never had preached a more disingenuous sermon as the first Sunday after the election — meaning that pastor felt compelled to give a word from God that did not match the pastor’s personal feelings about the situation. Sometimes, these dilemmas come our way.
Mark Tidsworth
On the other hand, perhaps it’s been long enough now, long enough for more of us to navigate our way forward, moving beyond paralysis or elation, depending on one’s viewpoint. To that end, I want to offer the following wayfinding points. These are not exhaustive, yet they are points I’m finding helpful toward navigating my own way forward.
Process. I’m hopeful many are beyond the intensity of initial reactions by now. At the same time, noticing our reactions and engaging our feelings about this election will continue underneath the surface for a long time.
Leaders, if you were one of those who had to jump into presentations, discussions or sermons right away, the time may be ripe for giving attention to your own emotions and reactions. Doing so will help you personally, while also centering your leadership and lowering your reactivity.
“The time may be ripe for giving attention to your own emotions and reactions.”
Remember. This served many of us well during the pandemic, remembering our identity and calling. Here’s how I described it then:
- Identity: We know who we are — disciples of Jesus
- Partners: We know who we are with — we are church
- Mission: We know our calling — joining God’s mission to bring the commonwealth of Christ to earth as it is in heaven
Remembering this places our spiritual feet firmly on the ground, not on shifting sand. Regardless of what the principalities of this world do, we know who we are, who we are with, and what we are doing.
Align. We are not people without direction but are called to align our lives with the way of Jesus. This is the lifelong calling toward Christian formation. We are disciples, while we are also becoming disciples (sanctification).
This wayfinding point involves activity interpreting what it means to live as disciples in this current situation. What does it look like to be Christ-followers in the political arena? We need satisfying and actionable answers, aligned with what we know of the way of Jesus from Scripture and our faith traditions.
Release. While aligning, we will discover mindsets and beliefs, perhaps buried deep within us, that do not align with the way of Jesus. This wayfinding point invites us to intentionally release those unhelpful beliefs, clearing them from our systems.
“We will discover mindsets and beliefs, perhaps buried deep within us, that do not align with the way of Jesus.”
In addition to beliefs that need to go, most of us unconsciously collect emotions that don’t serve us well. Here we are invited to intentionally release them, too, clearing the emotional ground so to speak, empowering us to be less reactive to every small thing we encounter.
Identify. How good is the good news, the way you see it and live it? How hopeful is your vision for planet earth? How much does your faith provide a better way for humankind to exist together as opposed to the extreme divisiveness in the current situation? Do you have a roadmap with waypoints for being the change you hope to see in the world?
We need a proactive pathway, with hopeful waypoints scattered along its route, which we can proactively pursue. If not, we have to run the old scripts for humankind — yes, the ones that have contributed to the formation of the current brokenness.
Commit. How much is this a trigger word for you? My religious history makes this one so. But with work, I’ve moved to the place where I see the value in making overt commitments, especially in times of stress, volatility and great change. When we taste of the Lord, discovering the Lord is good, then committing to the way of Jesus brings joy and increased energy.
Perhaps this is a good time to design a ritual, a faith-based, prayerful activity through which you and your church commit to a better way.
Partner. Don’t try this by yourselves at home, kids. Fortunately for us, living into the way of Jesus is not a solitary or isolated activity. God has provided partners for us called church.
“This is a time to select your church, and those within your church, very carefully.”
Caution: This is a time to select your church, and those within your church, very carefully. In their Christian journey, some are still at the tribal stage wherein they are very clear about who’s in or out, who’s an enemy and who must be eliminated (spiritually speaking). These lower levels of faith development sometimes serve to perpetuate divisiveness and discounting of others. This is a time to carefully select those with whom you will closely share the journey.
Pursue. Remember how Jesus demonstrated the way forward, taking on flesh and blood, living among us? We are called to an embodied faith story, to a life worth living. This wayfinding point invites us to live into our identity and callings, taking action.
We are called toward active transformation of ourselves and our communities. This wayfinding point is not primarily thinking work but living and doing work — pursuing and embodying the changes we hope to see in the world.
Confess. As we go, we will fail. No, I’m not super-pessimistic. I’m simply informed. As we go, we will fail. With gratitude, we have received a faith that anticipates our failures, while also redeeming them.
The spiritual discipline of confession is available when needed. God does not withhold forgiveness or redemption, but freely gives to any who ask. When we fail, we are not without hope. We confess, learn and then release the experience into God’s hands, no longer our burden to carry.
Restart. There are no terminal failures in the commonwealth of Christ. While we tend to catastrophize sin and failure, reluctant to start moving forward again, God does not go there.
Instead, another theological word is very helpful here: “repentance,” meaning “to turn around.” Allowing confession to clear the field, receiving grace and restarting forward movement — are all part of a healthy and strong faith journey.
Wayfinding. Finding our way. We do have direction through the way of Jesus. If ever this world needed the hope found through Christ Jesus, it is this post-election season.
Mark Tidsworth is founder and team leader for Pinnacle Leadership Associates. He has served as a pastor, new church developer, interim pastor, renewal pastor, therapist, nonprofit director, business owner, leadership coach, congregational consultant, leadership trainer and author. Ordained in the Baptist tradition, Mark is an ecumenical Christian minister based in Chapin, S.C.
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