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RSSBeyond Presidential Politics
by The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton
1/11/2008
Epiphany I Year A
Isaiah 42:1-9
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17
Psalm 29
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. — Isaiah 42: 2-3
A church charity cannot take sides in another nation's national elections — we can't even take sides in our own! People's political views belong to them, in a democratic electoral process, and it would be a misuse of religion to meddle in them. Besides, people with very different viewpoints about politics often find themselves perfectly able to work together in providing compassionate service to those in need of it, precisely because this kind of work does not take sides. Even when we can't do very much of anything else with one mind, we can still serve those in need.
The recent presidential election in Kenya seemed hopeful at first, but quickly spiraled into a disputed outcome and violence between supporters of the opposing candidates. More than 600 people have died in the unrest, and 250,000 have fled their homes. Businesses have been burned to the ground. Refugee camps have sprung up, and the local supply of clean water in those areas has become dangerously low.
Our church is responding to this ongoing emergency. With four Anglican dioceses in the Nyanza province of Western Kenya, Episcopal Relief & Development is offering food, shelter and blankets to those who have been left with nothing, without regard to ethnic background or political persuasion.
Of course people's political opinions matter, and of course we all bring our faith perspectives into our political lives, each of us as we seek to discern God's will for the world. But feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless are religious duties that transcend party loyalties. About those sacred duties, none of us can disagree.
