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A disputed election after civil war
In 1876, America endured a contentious election that makes 2020 look tame. From what I read it appears our Christian ancestors were deeply dismayed. They had just fought a horrible civil war and ten years later the American experiment seemed again doomed to failure. Thankfully, the union endured and even strengthened. If you are interested in those events, I highly recommend Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s book Centennial Crisis.
While the political and social issues are notable, the spiritual response of our forebears seems most significant. A new wave of church planting sparked, missionaries were sent across the world, and ministries of reconciliation were begun.* Many sermons were preached on 1 Corinthians 13, noting especially our presently limited understanding (verse 12) and the indomitable nature of faith, hope, and love (verse 13).
Faith, hope, and love remain
I was talking about all this with two other pastors as we prepared to lead our respective churches through the outcomes of the 2020 election. One of them made a fascinating observation about faith, hope, and love. He said, “Faith, hope, and love exist in an unbreakable trinity for the Christian. God keeps us in love, hope, and faith even as we go through periods where the glass through which we see appears very dark indeed.”
We took his thought and developed it into the simple diagram below.
• Hope and faith work together (a) to insulate us from the devastation of culture wars both hot and cold. We trust and know that this is not the end.
• Faith and love combine (b) to keep the Christian engaged with culture, not as a political being but as a spiritual force. We trust the Lord and thus can boldly care for a world in need of Jesus.
• Love and hope (c) dynamically deepen us as redeemed community. We love our brethren and have hope beyond this earth, allowing us to forgive, love, and bond together despite differences.
Whatever fears or disunities assault our senses in the days to come, please abide in faith, hope, and love. However dark the times seem and however limited our understanding, let’s act in faith, hope, and love.
God bless,
Wayne
* Note: Please don’t misunderstand. 19th century American Christians were just as prone to foolishness as we. There were many mistakes in their reconstruction, in fact, one could accurately apply Tolkien’s statement to their work, “Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.” They experienced just as many manipulations and heresies as in our 21st c., but their achievements should nonetheless be applauded.