Jeremy L. Berg

We woke up to a thick fog in our neck of the woods, both beautiful and uncomfortable at the same time. A blanket of fog has a way of slowing us down. Traffic crawled to school and work, a world in slow motion. A welcome pause in a world of hurry. I found myself reflective as I walked with Abby and our two kitties to the bus stop.

All our everyday, familiar surroundings looked unfamiliar and a bit strange. Beautiful and mysterious and haunting and still….very still. A lady has been walking down our road every day from a nearby neighborhood for nearly a decade. I usually pass her in my car, try to make eye contact and wave good morning. She never waves back. Always stern-faced. Never a hint of a smile. We’ve never spoken before over all these years of stale non-interaction through my dusty, bug-smeared windshield.

Today, I was at the bus stop with Abby when the stern-faced mysterious lady appeared out of the fog like a character in Scooby Doo. She came walking by as Abby was chasing our cat through the wild grass. To my shock, the woman was beaming with a smile so bright and warm it could burn the fog off a thousand acres of wetland. And the silent figure, she spoke! A friendly, neighborly voice commented on the cuteness of Abby and her kitties. I smiled and made a quick comment on the foggy weather as she bounded happily down the road with an extra bounce in her step.

I’m no Sherlock Holmes, but I deduced from all of this that her gleeful mood and child-like Christmas morning smile meant one thing: her candidate just won the election! For half the country a fog seems to be lifting today. For the other half, a fog seems to be thickening. For some of us, a higher-order fog hangs over both parties and our entire public discourse, we knew it wasn’t going to be lifted regardless of how this election turned out.

Eventually the fog dissipates as the heat of the bright shining sun burns it away. Morning fog gives way to midday sun. Fog hides and covers and confuses and disorients us like lies and deception. The sun reveals, enlightens, clarifies and leads us onto paths of Truth and Goodness.

Regardless of where we fall across the political spectrum, I pray that the bright light of the Son, Jesus Christ, would burn away the fog, light our collective path and warm our hearts in the coming days.

“For the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).

And heeding Peter’s words, “You will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

But until the fog fully lifts, followers of Jesus have their marching orders from on high. We are to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Especially mysterious, stern-faced neighbors who only smile once every four to eight years.

Each day we have a choice: Will we try to be a bright ray of sunshine helping burn the fog of division and despair and deceit away? Or will we add another layer to the heavy wet blanket of political rancor, vitriol, deception, cynicism and such?

Perhaps the best thing we can do to heal our divided nation is to simply walk down our driveway and meet the neighbor we’re tempted to label or fear, offer a smile and make small talk about the weather, our children, and our pets. That simple act of neighborliness will begin to lift the fog.

So, here’s a post-election pastoral blessing to both the gleeful and the grieving today: “May the Lord bless you and keep you all; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you all; the Lord turn his face toward you all and give you peace today.”

Finally, here’s the latest video from Skye Jethani at The Holy Post that is especially relevant to half of America today, but a message for all Christians to ponder.

Americans love winners, but what if following Jesus means embracing losing? Skye Jethani dives into the often misquoted Philippians 4:13 and explores how our culture’s obsession with winning has reshaped our view of Jesus, and why true Christian faith sometimes calls us to be ‘losers’ in the world’s eyes.