Dear Church Family,
Those of you who know me know that I do not preach politics from the pulpit. This has always been my approach as a pastor, because I believe the church is at its strongest when people of differing political views can sit in the same pews, united in our desire to follow Jesus.
This week we went through a significant part of our civic life together. People from every side of the table took part in our democratic process of voting. I want to address that, but not from the perspective of parties or sides. I want to talk about something I believe matters more than partisan politics.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, offered some advice about voting during one of the most divisive elections of his day. He wrote, “I advised them, 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy: 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.” (Journal of John Wesley, October 6, 1774)
I lead with this because of something that happened in Kansas this week. Rev. Adam Hamilton, a fellow United Methodist pastor and the founder of the Church of the Resurrection, was elected to the U.S. Senate in a race that surprised many people.
As with every election, some of us are celebrating and some of us are disappointed. As a part of the democratic process, we’ve all been on both sides of that experience at one time or another. What moves me today is not who won. It is how this fellow United Methodist pastor chose to run.
When asked whether he is conservative or liberal, Hamilton likes to say he is “a liberal conservative and a conservative liberal, depending on the issue and the day of the week.” For him, being conservative means holding on to the values and beliefs that are important to us. Being liberal means being generous in spirit and willing to see things with new eyes. His conviction as a United Methodist is that we can be both at the same time.
I watched his campaign carefully. He consistently spoke about the need to cross the aisle and work together. He talked about how his faith and understanding of what it means to love our neighbors would inform his work as a senator. And as he shared this message, he drew support from Republicans and Democrats alike.
What I am proud of is the witness that Adam Hamilton offered. These days it feels like so much of our politics is built around contempt and fear, so it was a welcome change to see someone from our tradition practicing decency, listening, and respect. And it gives me hope for a nation where we can disagree and still work together for the common good.
When I think about it, this all comes back to the roots of our Methodist way of faith. Wesley gave the early Methodists three General Rules, which Bishop Rueben Job beautifully summarized this way: Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God.
I strive every day to make these the center of my life and work as your pastor. And this week, I would remind all of us of Wesley’s election-day counsel: whoever we voted for, let us speak no evil of one another, and take care that our spirits are not sharpened against those who voted differently. My hope is that we are a church where all are welcome, where we work together for the common good, and where connecting, growing, and serving are more important than anything that divides us.
With God’s peace,
Pastor Karl
