Pastors E-Letter 10/16/20
If you are a living, breathing, American who sometimes watches the news or consumes social media, you know that we are in the midst of another presidential election season. At this point, less than 30 days from the election, it’s almost impossible to have missed it. Many receive phone calls, texts, and mailers daily from different political action groups. You can’t flip through channels or watch a YouTube video, without seeing a dramatic political ad crafted by these action groups and campaigns. That doesn’t even get to what is posted on social media with frightening regularity--sometimes true, sometimes false, and always bombastic! It seems there are plenty of narratives in the world vying for our attention about the political process here in our United States.
Because an election is such an emotionally fraught process, churches sometimes lean away from talking about politics in America. There are both legal and wise reasons for that. First, we don’t want to endorse a specific candidate- that would interrupt our status as a non-profit. Secondly, we know how you all feel about politics, and there is absolutely no way to encompass every view in a fiery pulpit speech. Especially in an ideologically diverse place like Suntree, speaking about the “political,” can often feel “partisan,” and feelings can get hurt before you speak the second sentence. In our caution around not talking about politics however, we often miss the opportunity to talk about what our faith says about voting, what we say in our ballots, and how we’re to navigate the political landscape in our country as Christians.
This year, it feels important to speak out loud the way our faith should make a difference in our political decisions. After all, politics isn’t a dirty word. It comes from the Greek word polis which just literally means the structure of community life together. At its best, politics can be how we make sure that we are all taken care of, given opportunity, and how we function together as a society. Politics gets us roads, nature preserves, food and drug regulations, and the right to free speech and to speak our mind. As women, we know it was political action that got us the right to vote. We have many in our congregation who participated in political actions to get people of color access to the ballot box without threat of violence. Politics has its place, and our right to vote is our main way of engaging this process to ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ALL people in our country.
As Christians, though, we do not go alone to the ballot box. We go with the Holy Spirit, remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It may be trite, but we go into our ballot boxes asking, “What would Jesus do?” and making a choice as such. We don’t just focus on one issue but look at the whole of human life. We do our research. We think about folks who are different from us, and how they might be impacted by our ballot choices. Just as God appears in the stranger, so God too appears and goes to the polls with us in the presence of a stranger who our vote has the power to impact. We trust that in these choices, God will speak to us and help us understand which way to go.
It is no surprise to you that this year, voting has been on the forefront of many minds both here in Florida and across the nation (Can anyone say "swing state"?). It is scary to vote in the midst of a pandemic! But it is also scary to imagine those whose right to vote may be hampered or taken away, due to their status as a returning felon or where they live. As a pastoral staff, we want to encourage you to be thoughtful in your voting this year. With that, a few reminders:
Make a plan to vote!
- Mail in voting has begun in Florida! I have seen many of your photos on social media! Mail in voting is a safe and sure way to have your voice be heard and not expose yourself to the virus. You must request a mail in ballot before October 24th- and you’ll need to send it early so it is received by November 3rd. You can also drop your ballot in a ballot drop box. https://www.votebrevard.gov/Ballots-by-Mail/Mail-Ballot-Information You should also plan on checking on the status of your mail-in ballot through the Supervisor of Elections to make sure it is accepted.
- You can also vote early! There are different early voting places than your regular polling location. Check those out here: https://www.votebrevard.gov/Election-Information/Polling-Place-and-Early-Voting-Site-Regularions
- You can also vote on election day! You would know best if you can expect lines at your polling location, but think about ways that you can be the light of Christ in what may be a tense waiting time to cast your ballot. Would you bring snacks, smile and wave under your mask, kindly speak to those nearby?
Research your ballot!
- There are more than just the presidential candidates on the ballot. Down-ballot elections can often be more important for local life and our neighbors than presidential ones. Do your research about judges, county commissioners, and state representatives. Do they reflect your values? What are their conviction rates? How do they show mercy? Do they state their care for all people?
- There are also down-ballot initiatives that have a high amount of impact on local life. For instance, we are voting here in Brevard County to re-up a half-cent surtax for education. This may seem small, but the life of the surtax can have a major impact on capital improvements for our schools, including Harbor City Elementary and those in our neighborhood. Education is a big priority for many parents, but should be for all of us, as good education improves our county and the lives of children all around us. For more information from our school board about how this could impact schools, check out this link: https://www.brevardschools.org/domain/10666
We know this is a lot of information. But we wanted you to feel totally equipped to make these choices and to think about how your faith could be present to you as you vote this year. As we’ve navigated our Generosity Campaign (and will continue to do so this weekend), we’ve thought about how grateful we are that we live in a country that affords us the opportunity to improve upon ourselves all the time, inviting God’s kingdom into our votes and our lives. May it be so on November 3rd, too.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Annette and Pastor Allee