Pastor's Weekly Word

Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3)

Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for, or perhaps it is the day we’ve all been dreading. I’ve seen Facebook posts from friends who voted early like I did. Their posts usually included something like, “Now can we please put this election behind us!” I have had some days like that during the seemingly endless campaigning. I’ve seen the ugliness like you have. I’ve watched the posturing like you have. I’ve tried to glean some semblance of what is true and real like you have. It has been an ordeal to say the least. It feels like we are fighting for the soul of our country.

The image I have had in my head, though, is not of a battle. I haven’t seen this as armored up warriors charging into the fray. That’s not how I’ve pictured it. No, the image I have had is that of a flock of sheep. Sheep are social creatures and are nervous by nature. They are filled with anxiety all the time. They constantly look for the wolf that is out to get them whether the wolf is actually there or not. They band together for protection and will follow even when it is not a good idea. It seems an apt description for us right now.

I felt a little bit like a sheep when I went in to vote the other day, but then something unexpected happened. A strange sense of calm came over me. I wasn’t nervous or anxious or unsure. I wasn’t worried or uncomfortable. I felt completely at ease in the votes I was making, not because I thought I was voting for the right candidates, and certainly not because I had stopped worrying about what people will do after the election is over. We are sheep after all. No, I was calm because I believe in the shepherd, the God of us all.