This is a very special week for our family. My youngest daughter will marry her best friend on Saturday. We’ve spent months planning and preparing. The big event is days away. Every young bride has hopes and dreams she invests into this moment of her life. My constant prayer for my daughter is that she will enjoy the journey, before and after the wedding, so that her joy may be full.
I heard the word “ecclesia” yesterday. I had never heard it used before, with the exception of the elongated version in the Bible, Ecclesiastes. What does it mean? It can mean one of two things: 1) A political assembly of citizens. 2) The members of a church. Now that I know the meaning of this strange word, I wanted to re-read Solomon’s opening thoughts as his mind and emotions collided with the following realization… What’s the point of getting everything you want? Where does that leave you?
So as not to derail you from your journey-to-the-goal track, let me expand on my epiphany. Creating a dream destination isn’t the problem. The problem presents itself as you near the “end game” and you realize that it’s all about to be over. It’s like coming to the end of a very good book. What now? What’s next? I see it like a hamster on a wheel that suddenly stops. No one likes the jolt of a dead end.
We’re nearing a national election in which both definitions of ecclesia will be participating. The tight-rope between politics and church will be stretched to the point that no one can let go without causing everyone to crash in the mud. Our focus has been distorted by the “end game.” We have lost sight of the journey before and after the vote. We have lost sight of the fact that we’re all on the same team… as American citizens.
Many years ago, I remember an election in which the man I voted for lost. I had been sure he was the right person to lead because he lined up with my spiritual and moral plumb line. I was devastated by the results of the election. The next morning the sun came up and shown as it always did. The people got up and went to work as they had before. America survived and life went on. This year, rather than praying for a particular candidate to win, I’ve been asking God how to pray for each candidate. What does each man need during this stressful journey he is on? How can I intercede so that the tension of the tugging and pulling, as seen in ads and debates, can give way to using the rope for more constructive purposes? What is God doing in America and who is the right person for this time in His plan? If God can use Pharaoh to bring about liberty for the Israelites, what other kinds of secret plans does He have in mind for us? How can I participate in America’s journey before and after the election? How can I side with unity rather than division? The questions go on and on.
For today, I will look forward to the exciting week set before me. I will celebrate the moment I am in and rise higher to see what lies after each event. I will remember who I put my trust in and I will look for new and creative ways to love those around me in this journey we call, "Life."
