First, remember how God strengthens us in advance of all trials (and Election Day and the days following will surely be a trial!) and during those trials: by clothing us with the best armor available. As Psalm 144 says, "Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust."
What war am I talking about? Spiritual warfare against the forces of evil, the dark forces of separation. We are in a war right now, my friends, a war of words for the soul of America, because our country has been and is being so tragically divided by two different versions of who America is and what she stands for. This war of words is becoming so inflammatory that it could easily spill over into bloodshed.
What armor does God promise us for spiritual warfare? It is certainly not this world's armor that prepares soldiers to shed blood. St. Paul tells us
EPH 6:10-20 Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.... put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones...."
God promises us the armor of Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, the helmet of Salvation, the sword of the Spirit. These will help us hold fast against onslaughts of lies, and inflammatory appeals to see our fellow citizens and any of the poor and vulnerable as the Enemy. We will persevere and seek the inner peace that empowers us to speak the Truth with charity, ever holding fast to our faith in God Who sees all of us as His children. How does someone in this armor approach those who have a wildly different view of reality? With courteous and courageous words of truth. With prayer for them. With ongoing prayerful supplication for, not war, but peace in this country.
Second, God prepares us for trials by helping us to keep calm with a contagious calm. For, if we put on this armor of God, what will our ongoing inner and outer attitude be? Gentleness and contagious calm that spreads to those around us. How can we be calm? Because we have faith and trust that our Lord is always near us, working for our welfare. Max Lucado reminds us of another section of the Word of God written by St. Paul: Philippians 4: 5-6:
"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything."
Gentleness, according to Lucado, "describes a temperament that is seasoned and mature. It envisions an attitude that is fitting to the occasion, level-headed and tempered. The gentle reaction is one of steadiness, evenhandedness, fairness....Its opposite would be an overreaction or a sense of panic. This gentleness is 'evident to all.' Family members take note. Your friends sense a difference. Coworkers benefit from it. Others may freak out or run out, but the gentle person is sober minded, and clear thinking. The contagiously calm person is the one who reminds others, "God is in control.'"
How can we keep our heads when everyone else is indulging in mutual accusation and recrimination? Lucado reminds us "The Lord is near! You are not alone. You may feel alone. You may think you are alone. But there is never a moment in which you face life without help. God is near." (from Max Lucado's book "Be Anxious About Nothing.")
We do not believe in a God Who is distant, Who set this planet spinning with one Divine Finger, and then withdrew to His peace in the clouds. No, we believe in a God Who has skin in this game of life, the soft, human and divine Skin of God's Son Jesus, Who took on our flesh, our life, our sin, our suffering, our death, and then rose from the dead as our Divine Promise of new Life beyond the grave. This human and Divine Jesus reconciled and daily reconciles us all to one another in His very blood. The sacrifice of His shedding His blood Reconciled us! And this same Jesus gave to each of us the ongoing work of reconciliation. The ongoing, sacrificial work of patient and persistent gentleness and the telling of truth, while always loving the other.
In every trial, God is ready to strengthen us and to calm us. Through every day of this election cycle, reach for the Lord's hand. Hold on to it. Hear Him say "Do not fear. I will help you." (Isaiah 41: 13.) God is not just saying this to you. God is saying this to everyone in this country who has ears to hear. God is saying to all our citizens "Do not fear. I will help your country. I carry your country in My Heart. Whatever happens, I am with you and I will work all things for your country's good, no matter who wins this election. Trust me. And be gentle with one another. Do not insult each other. Speak the Truth with courageous charity."
God is saying to us, "I will strengthen you! Prepare always for spiritual warfare. Put on My armor of Truth, Righteousness, Faith, the helmet of salvation. Take up the sword of My Spirit which is the Gospel. Yet the greatest spiritual warfare goes nowhere unless you allow me to calm you so you can project the gentle peace and calm that comes from abiding in Me and trusting in Me. Trusting that I want good for you and your country. And PRAY! PRAY for everyone! Do not demonize your brothers and sisters, no matter their color, sex, social status, country of origin, or sexual orientation."
Only the shield of our Faith in God can quench the flaming arrows of the Evil One, the arrows of destructive arguments and rioting in the streets, the pulling apart of families and neighborhoods, the turning of the rich against the poor, the Haves against the Have Nots, those with health insurance and food against those reliant on Medicaid and Food Stamps. We are all children of God! We are all Interconnected as God's Family. The Evil One - and our own selfish ego - want us to think only of our own experiences, our own preferences and wants and needs. God tells us, in the Power of Scripture, His Word, His Son, that we must work untiringly for the legitimate human needs and rights of all of us, even if we do not personally know each other.
Pray before you vote. Ask God to enlighten your mind and heart. And rest in the peace of God throughout this election and the days after. Be strong. Be calm. Project God's Strength, Peace, and Calm to others in truthful gentleness. Hold on to one another and pray for one another. Repeat God's Word in your heart: " Clothe yourself in My spiritual armor. Take hold of My Right hand and hold on. I am near you always. I am your Mercy and Your Fortress. I am your Stronghold and Deliverer. I am your Calm and Peace. I am your Shield! Trust Me. I will help you - always."