The Impossible Made Possible



I was listening to a song by Matt Berninger (lead singer of the indie band, The National) off of his newest solo album, and this line grabbed me and wouldn't let me go: 

There’s a pattern to the way the world is tearing up, 
I  think it’s happening to me. 

Today I'm feeling a bit torn up---torn up like the world... torn up like our country, which seems to be trapped in an endless cycle of anger, hatred, and fear.  

As the recent election continues to remain unresolved in the minds of very nearly 70 million Americans, I'm beginning to wonder if there will ever be even the tiniest shred of unity in our country again.  

Depending on which news outlet you favor, there are two divergent stories being told about the outcome of the election.  And I fear that despite how everything ends, those two divergent stories will never find their way back to a common path forward.  

When is enough actually enough?  At what point do we look at one another and begin to wonder why we are fighting so hard with each other, instead of the very real, very urgent issues that require our attention, our focus, our unity.  

At the risk of sounding like an aluminum-hat-wearing-conspiracy-theorist, let me just say this:  
Attention Merchants and Politicians are fully invested in keeping us this way.  The moment we wake up and realize we could fix so much that is wrong in our world if we would just come together... they lose their hold on us.  And trust me, siblings, they don't want that to happen.  
Those of us who claim to follow Jesus need to resist the temptation to remain locked in this endless pointless struggle---a struggle that has also successfully divided the Church by pitting Christians against one another.  

A struggle that has been largely manufactured for political purposes, power, and financial gain. 

There is work to do, friends.  And those of us claim to follow Jesus can continue to remain divided and weakened, or we can decide to open our eyes, resist the siren song of conflict and actually embody Him to the world.  

It feels impossible right now to imagine we could do this, but with God all things are possible.  I  recently read a wonderful quote from Fr. Richard Rohr that I have been thinking about for days:  

Pray as if it all depends on us, and work as if it all depends on God.

Our prayers for the world and its troubles should be filled with the kind of deep introspection that comes from self-examination, intentionality, and purpose.  In other words, we should pray that we would find the courage to act, the fearlessness to change.  

And then we should step out into the world to do the work---work that might seem insurmountable and impossible, and totally dependent on Divine intervention in order to be accomplished.  Because it is.  

May you find the courage to do this good work.  May you find the strength to push away from the endless fighting that does little to bring the kingdom of God here to earth.  May you engage in impossible tasks with possible hope.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.  

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