Church of the Holy Comforter | Vienna, VA

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Dear Holy Comforter Family, 


During the past several years we have strived to create a space for caring conversations for people on both sides of the aisle. We did this with a class last summer on “Finding the Middle Way” and this fall’s “Being With” and sought to do this in sermons. The vision is that as people of faith, our governments are not our final home. The vision is that we will all be together in God’s embrace because of who God is in Christ. Thus, we strive to work out our differences and learn from each other here on earth, now. 


Because of where we are located in Northern Virginia and because of our attempts at creating this middle-way space, there is a large proportion of our congregation who are grieving over the election at this time. It is not grief over just the loss of any election, but the grief over what feels like a loss of moral compass for many—a loss in the fight for the future of our planet’s wellbeing and climate change, an experience of fear for refugees and immigrants and people we are actively supporting in our ministry, a loss for women’s rights that have been so eroded by state governments since the supreme court ruling and a loss over the concern that the rule of law is being undermined. 


This is not everyone’s experience. Others feel quite the opposite and are celebrating the election news and believe that the election results will set us on the right path to a better economy, better allegiance to this country and its values, a better use of resources and improvement for those facing economic hardship.  


The election of a candidate who admires other authoritarian leaders has called into question moral dilemmas for me for finding a middle way. Can one be found among us? As Yuval Harrari has written, authoritarianism is increasingly attractive in a compoundingly complex world.


For me, the authority has to come out of our prayer with God and Christ, not from a human leader. I’ve been returning again and again to the words of Fr. Thomas Keating recently: “Humanity as a whole needs a breakthrough into the contemplative dimension of life. This is the Life at the heart of the world. There the human family is already one. If one goes to one’s own heart, one will find oneself in the heart of everyone else, and all in the heart of the Ultimate Mystery.”(June 2010, The Contemplative Outreach News)


There may be a point where I may need to speak my conscience as your rector if I think the actions of our future president and administration are morally corrupt. There may be a point when you will disagree with me. If that is the case, I would love to hear from you and will take your words seriously. I will not respect you less. Our presidents are not Jesus, whose Way we are all called to follow in loving God, loving our neighbor as ourselves, in caring for the least among us, in forgiving, in healing and in undoing the burdens laid upon by others in power who often don’t even notice their own impact. These are the most important elements of following Jesus as our Lord and no one else and they are often difficult to follow. 


I will strive, with Ann+ and Jackie+ for the way of listening and teaching and preaching the gospel first. I will keep praying and following Jesus’ way as the way of Life for all, come what may. I will strive for a middle way among us as long as I am humanly able, and will pray for all of us to treat each other and ourselves with utmost regard. 


In Christ,


The Rev. Jon Strand

Rector