Reflect
One day, during the heat of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was asked if he prayed for God to be on the side of the Union. The president responded, “I pray that we are on God’s side.” In our personal lives and in our politics, let us strive to follow God’s way rather than our own self-interests. Let us put the common good—God’s realm of Shalom—ahead of power and politics, and be faithful to God, following God’s way in all that we do.
Pray
God of all peoples, let me follow your way
rather than the desires of my own heart.
Let me pray that my nation be faithful to your vision
rather than to power or privilege.
Help me love others as I love myself
seeking their wellbeing as well as my own.
Amen.
Act
Consider your daily behavior, values, and political involvement. Prayerfully ask how you can pay more attention to God’s vision than to your own self-interests, whether in your personal life or in politics. In this time of incivility, take time to pray for someone whose politics differ from your own.
