Kingdom Harbor

From The After Party:

Has politics clouded your vision?

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” But in today’s political landscape, it’s so easy for our hearts to become clouded. Anger, partisanship, bitterness, self-righteousness – these things creep in and blur our vision. We can’t resist this on our own. We need His help to keep our hearts pure.

This week, ask yourself: Has politics clouded my vision, making it harder to see others, and God clearly? Where have I let frustration, pride, or fear shape the way I see others – and even the way I see God? How can I pray for a pure heart in the midst of this divisive season? Our hope for The After Party is simple: that God would use it to uncloud our vision. To help us see clearly again. To encourage us to walk with purity of heart, humility, and hope as we approach politics.

Has The After Party done that for you? If it has, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with someone else. Tell them how it has helped you: the perspective it gave, the burden it lifted, the clarity it brought. Let’s pursue purity over partisanship. For ourselves. For our churches. For our nation.

A Blessing for Keeping Your Heart Soft when Everything is Broken by Kate Bowler

Blessed are you who see it all now. 

The terrible, beautiful truth that our world, our lives seem irreparably broken. 

And you can’t unsee it. The hungry kid. The exhausted mom. 

The woman who wonders if any of this is worth it. 

The loneliness and despair.

Blessed are you who glimpse reality and don’t turn away. 

This kind of seeing comes at a steep cost, and it is a cost you may not have paid intentionally, but here you are. Seeing things clearly. 

Blessed are you who have worked hard to keep your heart soft. 

You who live with courage, fixing what is in your reach, 

praying about what is not, and loving, still.

May you experience deeper capacity and glimpses of hope,

as you continue to see the world as it is. 

Terrible. Beautiful. Fragile.

Note: MainStreet Covenant Church completed The After Party curriculum together in the lead up to the 2024 election. It was our attempt to reframe our political identity as we take the lead in healing what’s broken. Jesus’ call is clear: We are to be salt and light in this world. I recommend this free online video curriculum to others who are looking for a nuanced Christian alternative to outrage and divisiveness. Check it out here.