Yours, Mine, and 'Our Father'

For post-election American Christians, it's a tough time to come together. Many voters felt that the choice they made at the polls—or their decision not to participate—was deeply important. Now that we know the outcome, some believers who disagree about their voting choices are finding it hard to accept one another's differences. The temptation toward polarization is strong, even as the biblical call to reconciliation is clear.

In a recent article at CT, Carmen Joy Imes considers what the next steps for those who find themselves struggling to engage their political opponents peacefully.

"As we look toward gathering with believers who think very differently than we do—whether our fellow congregants at church or our friends or family members for the holidays—how can we aim to be agents of reconciliation instead of polarization?" she asks.

Imes encourages believers to start with prayer. More specifically, she hopes believers will reflect on how Jesus taught us to pray in The Lord's Prayer.

Ime writes, "Instead of I, me, and my, the Lord’s Prayer tutors us to pray with collective pronouns: our and us. 'Our Father' is the one to whom we pray (Matt. 6:9, emphasis added throughout). God is not my personal genie in a bottle, ready to grant my wishes. He is the divine parent in whose family every follower of Jesus finds a home."

Whether around holiday tables or in the church pews, may we ask God to draw us toward the transformative hope of the gospel that crosses barriers and cultivates community.