Today is an historic day in our history - the swearing in of the first woman of color and Southeast Asian descent as Vice-President, and a day that happens every four years, a peaceful transition of power in our government. It was supposedly described as “commonplace and miraculous” by Ronald Reagan, the first person I ever watched give an inaugural address. It was in 1985 in the living room of my childhood home with my father when we watched the Second Inaugural Address of President Reagan. Barely five years old I fell in love with politics and the political process. I could never have imagined then where we would be now. A few weeks ago, I wondered if we would see this transition happen again. In fact, I was doubtful. As the poet laureate said today, “we've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.” Thankfully, that force was unsuccessful, and my doubts did not prevail. Senator Blunt remarked, we will see these days every four years, just with one happier party over another.
What is remarkable is that every inauguration we have an opportunity to be a nation that is not divided by partisanship. It should last a while, but we will slip back into that duality. We will slip back into that duality especially in our time when the partisan divide is so strong and sharp. The hope is that we do so in a less volatile way. A less violent way. My prayer is that we can find a way to move forward with the hope that our National Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, shared in her closing poem today. A “country bruised but whole.” To me, that spoke much to our belief of living as both sinner and saint. We can find ourselves trapped as just sinner without the ability to strive towards saint. But if we harness the bravery of our faith in Christ, we can realize what Amanda shared, “...there is always light if we are brave enough to see it.” I pray that we are all brave enough to take the next step forward in our faith, our nation, and our world by looking towards that light.
A prayer from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship for our nation:
Holy Trinity, one God, you show us the splendor of diversity and the beauty of unity in your own divine life. Make us, who came from many nations with many languages, a united people that delights in our many different gifts. Defend our liberties, and give those whom we have entrusted with authority the spirit of wisdom, that there might be justice and peace in our land. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our sovereign and our Savior.
Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jason
