Reflections on the Election

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

On Wednesday, I turned to my devotions to find that the appointed reading for the day is Micah 6:1-8, concluding with the words above. As so often happens in times of turmoil and anxiety, I found myself marveling at how the Holy Spirit provides fitting words for the day. On the morning after Election Day, I needed to hear again these words to remind me of what God deems important and to move me from my inward focus toward my neighbor.

These next days will be filled with stories, in the news and in our conversations with others, sharing feelings about the outcome of the election. Some will express relief or joy that their candidates won; others will speak of fear, sadness, and anxiety about what the next year will bring. The words of the prophet speak into all our feelings, reminding us that God remains in our midst as one who seeks the well-being of the world that includes us and those around us, friends, strangers, and enemies alike.

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness. These words direct our attention to our neighbors, those near and far for whom we share responsibility. We live in community, and we thrive in community. When we turn away from our neighbors, community breaks down. To do justice and to love kindness is to pay attention to the needs of our neighbors and to seek the good for them. In a godly community, there are no enemies and no strangers, each cares for the other. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)

Martin Luther writes about the neighbor, “we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light.” (Small Catechism, the Eighth Commandment) Love for our neighbor means we avoid the slanderous words thrown against those who did not vote the way we wish. Instead, we strive to understand each other and our motivations. We listen without judgement to the hopes and fears that drove decisions to vote one way or the other.

Walk humbly with your God. No one of us knows the mind of God: We must always listen carefully to what the Lord God says to us, live in prayer, and walk by faith. Walking humbly means knowing that our actions are flawed, imperfect, and praying for God to bring good out of our failures. Walking humbly means acknowledging that our way is not always the best way. Walking humbly means trusting God to work through others, even those with whom we might disagree.

As we look toward the transitions in our government, let us pray for those who lead today and those who will take over leadership in January. Let us ask God to lead them in the ways of justice, kindness, and humility, for the sake of our neighbors. Amen.