A Renewed Call

As I sat in my mother's hospital room last evening, I listened to family members talk about why they voted for Donald Trump. A knot formed in my stomach as I grew angry wondering why loving and intelligent people detested Hillary so deeply that they would cast a vote for a man who practices hate and preaches simplistic unjust solutions. Then I woke up to learn the worst had happened.

At work I attended a Safety and Security Team Meeting where we discussed our need to encourage and teach the congregation to replace fear, as our Parish Administrator said, with prudence. Our plans include response training for an active shooter situation.

Anxiety stifles imagination and promotes knee-jerk decision making. It is a horrible burden, a living death that's contrary to Jesus' will of abundant life. A renewed awareness of my call to preach and live the gospel of Jesus more faithfully and clearly swept over me while sitting in traffic later in the day. The knot began to loosen.