Friends,

It is Halloween, and this is the last article I will write before All Saints’ Day, which is this coming Sunday, and the presidential election on Tuesday. This is the one year I have both of my sons at St. Luke’s Day School, and we just got done walking in the Halloween Parade. My youngest, who is only two, freaked out when I put him in his costume, which was a great reason to put him on my shoulders and carry him for the parade. Just this one year I got to dress up as a dinosaur along with both of my sons while we walked around the Church with all of the other parents cheering. It was glorious.

During election seasons, Episcopal Clergy and other types who try to walk the line of not being spineless and respecting the separation of Church and state will make very generalized and non-controversial statements when asked about whom they are voting for. Citing scripture can feel helpful. There is the Song of Mary in the Gospel according to Luke that talks about the fall of the mighty and giving food to those who are hungry. The Beatitudes are great too, with all of the reversals heavily spiked with humility, hope and justice. I appreciate this approach, but the problem with it is that everyone thinks the scripture is lifting up their candidate and casting down the opponent. I have literally only heard one person tell me, in the most scrooge way possible, that the problem is the excess population of poor people, and they should just die already. I honestly believe that that person is an outlier, and that the vast majority of voters believe their favored policies will benefit people the most, especially the poor and marginalized. I just happen to think about half of them are wrong. Another problem with the approach of talking about politics in a removed and righteous sort of way, even when one candidate is of significantly higher character than the other, is that it ignores the uncomfortable reality that even the best policies, political parties, and governments always fall short of the charity, grace and compassion that the King of God demands of us.

When we talk about politics in a removed, religious and righteous sort of way, we need to be aware that part of the reason we’re doing it is because everyone will think we’re talking about them. This isn’t some sort of statement about “merits of both sides”, this is just a reality, and for me, it is the reason I try to stay away from safe statements that makes me feel like I’ve satisfied my need to express conviction.

I want to encourage you to feel uncomfortable, because we live in uncomfortable times. I love our country, democracy, and I am enthusiastically voting for my candidate, but I refuse to even pretend they will be fulfilling scripture if they are elected. Vote, speak out boldly, but be humble enough to realize that all of our elected officials are fallible and need to be held accountable.

There is no perfect way to be the Church in this particular environment. Each potential path to navigate this storm has its own advantages and pitfalls. I am of the opinion that rhetoric about the other side being the enemy is both a natural progression of the two-party system, and that it is a tremendous threat to our democracy. I want to combat this by refusing to claim anyone as my enemy, and to make St. Luke’s a place where people can acknowledge each other’s humanity. This coming Sunday is a tremendous reminder of why we this is not just a good task for protecting democracy, but also because it is a fundamentally Christian task.

All Saints’ Day is when we remember literally all of the saints who have come before us and dwell among us now, and those who are known and unknown to our collective memory. For many it is also a time where we remember our loved ones who have died, which in turn, becomes a reminder of our own mortality. The time we have is too short to not try to transform the world with love and welcome. I am not immune to feelings of ill-will towards politicians I see as scoundrels, and that one guy on the neighborhood text thread that won’t stop posting stupid political memes. It makes me mad just like it makes everyone else mad. I demand St. Luke’s be a place where people can come and won’t be labeled an enemy. People will be welcome and loved until they prove themselves to be malicious, and even then, the door won’t be closed forever if forgiveness is sought. My hunch is that if we can make a small island that breaks the narrative of making the other side the enemy then the idea will catch. I have no illusions of changing the world, but I am uncomfortable enough going into this election season, and I am aware enough of my mortality, that I feel like we don’t have a choice.

You won’t read this until the day after Halloween at the earliest, which is the proper day to observe All Saints’ Day. I hope you reveled in the Halloween activities on Thursday night and watched everyone seemingly mock death and all of the things that scare us, and then boldly let yourself remember the hurt that is still there after your loved one died all those years ago the following day. In this uncomfortable time, I hope you do find some comfort knowing that at this place you will be counted among the saints, warts and all, and I hope this love transforms you.

Blessings,

Nick