The Oasis - October 16, 2024
Author: Rev. ERic Dupee
October 16, 2024
With the election less than a month away, things are getting intense. I’m getting texts asking me to either indicate how I will vote, or to take a survey. Who are these people sending me texts and how did they get my number? Candidates for president are making a final push to win votes. Lawn signs are showing up everywhere they’re allowed to be placed.
Recently, I read an article written by a university chaplain in which he describes what he calls a religious revival in higher education. He wants students at colleges and universities to see the link between faith and engagement in the political process.
The Rev. Brian Konkol, Ph.D., serves as Dean of Hendricks Chapel and Professor of Practice at Syracuse University. As Election Day nears, Rev. Konkol shares a reminder to be kind this political season. He, writes: “The ballot box is sacred space and voting is a spiritual act. When we elect representatives or discern referendums, we proclaim our personal beliefs and shape our public surroundings, all which shapes communities far after the polls close. To be a voting citizen is itself an act of faith, for we all depend on each other, and together we trust that our actions can indeed make a difference.”
I pass this along, simply as food for thought. If you agree that voting is a spiritual act, I encourage you to register to vote and to make a plan for casting your vote. In this time of heightened anxiety, let us be kind to each other. Let us seek what we have in common. Let us demonstrate our faith in every way possible.
Blessings,
Eric
|