November 7

Day 238: Backtrack

It's almost laughable how predictable the days after an election are. Everyone now feels obligated to play nice with the enemy. Virtue-signaling will be at full throttle into next week.

It seems to go like this. The winning candidate will say something like "I will be the President/Senator/House Rep for ALL the people." Very conciliatory, while trying not to overtly gloat.

We will also see this phenomena on social media. People who spent the past months spitting verbal nails are now backtracking. Not their political allegiances, mine you; but their divisive tone.

How is the social backtrack evidenced?  The same previously divisive folks are now posting photos... of puppies...and food...and pretty sunsets. We will see, today, lots of American flags posted online. Kind of like saying, "Sorry I've been so mean spirited. Please don't think poorly of me."

This is not new. Even back in the early days of the Church there was social division. They didn't have social media to hide behind back then. Just sly, distrusting glances toward each other. I'm sure they were adept at social distancing too!

The Jews were the Jews. And the Gentiles (everybody else) were not. Each side thoroughly distrusted the other. Perhaps on Sundays they could play nice; but the conflict was always just below the surface. They could backtrack on the weekends, but revert back to social conflict on Mondays. Unless...

"For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility...So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." (Eph. 2:14 and 19.)

Jesus had made for peace. Because the saints, the members of the Church held a common membership. They had each and all been saved by the same Lord, and graced with the same graces, held to the same gospel hope as each other.

In Jesus, they (and we) are held together as the Church. A unity that transcends anything the culture can hope to manufacture.

Even as we sit back today and watch most everyone else attempt to backtrack. I think I’ll watch football instead.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau