Our recent presidential election process demonstrated that we are a nation of deeply divided opinions on what is the right path to follow. But then, the same is true in all of the Middle East, China, Europe and the rest of the world, developed or undeveloped.  Every one of us has an opinion, and as the old saying goes, “Opinions are like belly-buttons; everybody has one and no two are alike.”  Among Episcopal clergy we like to joke that if you get 10 priests in a room discussing a controversial subject you will get 20 points of view. On our own we are incapable of doing God’s will if we are doggedly determined to have our way or no way.

In my opinion (see, there it is) it makes little difference who gets elected president, congressman/woman, senator, governor, counselor, commissioner, mayor or anything else because the bottom line is always going to be, “Is that person working to bring about peace, practice justice, be merciful and work to see that we take care of one another?”  If they do those things they are living into the will of God and God wins, and when God wins we all win.

Peruse, if you will, the entire Old Testament of the Bible and see how often the people and their leaders would choose to disobey God’s will and intentions, follow their own path and end up in grievous destruction. It is played out over and over again over centuries and millennia, but we human beings are simply so intent on getting our way that we run headlong to rack and ruin.

The present and most immediate task facing our leaders in these post-election years is to listen to God and set self-interest and personal or political opinions aside and make the definite choice to follow God’s intentions and do God’s will to bring about peace, do justice, be merciful and simply help us take care of one another in a dangerous and unpredictable world. Yes, there will be many opinions on how to do those things, but if we will all listen to God and do our best to follow the values God has set before us all will be well.  In the end, God always wins, period. The question is, “Do we want to be there when God does take it all?”

– The Reverend Dr. Michael Doty, Rector The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross