Rev. Marian Boyle-Rohloff, Pastor, West Side Moravian Church, Green Bay, WI; Co-Chair, Gamaliel National Religious Leaders’ Caucus; Member, Gamaliel affiliate, JOSHUA
A song that’s resonated with me from childhood on up is Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” The song conjures up a vision of this land being a place for everyone, as the lyric goes: “This land was made for you and me.”
The 2020 election lifts up competing visions of who this land was made for, and who are beneficiaries of its resources and abundance. There are different definitions of who’s included in the you and me.
We know this land and national story is one of occupation, genocide, and bondage. We know these founding practices still live on today in forms of white supremacy and systemic racism that seek to marginalize the voices of black, indigenous, and other people of color. Yet, we also know our country’s more hopeful strains of life and liberty for all with the desire to be a place of welcome to those from other lands . . . the not yet realized hope of an expanded We the People.
Questions for Reflection
- What does an expanded or more fully lived out We the People look like?
- Are you clear about what’s at stake in the 2020 election?
- How will your values be reflected in your vote?
Sacred Text
1 Corinthians 12:7 “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
The Common Prayer on Our Journey
Source of all being, Sacred mystery, you are the wellspring of justice. Weaver of the warp and weft of history, weave our lives into the fabric of your will. Guide us towards the Beloved Community. Forgive us when we have failed to give shape to the Beloved Community in our communities and in our lives.
All around us the ugly onslaughts of white nationalism, hate crimes, and systemic racism devastate your people, divide us, and threaten our democracy. All around us the wicked strut, and in high places are those who encourage the basest of attitudes and actions. Grant us wisdom and courage to confront these evils with the power of love and truth. Free us from timidity and equivocation. Help us to be bold in thought and action. May our lives and our faith communities model the change we hope to see in the world.
As we approach the November elections, keep us mindful that the right to vote is a sacred trust won by beatings, by imprisonments, by blood, by the relentless struggles of many who came before us. Help us to honor that legacy. May we vote our conscience and encourage others to do the same.
Heal our nation. Heal our hearts. Heal our nation. Amen.
Gamaliel National Religious Leaders’ Caucus invites you to 40 Days of Reflection on Our Journey to the Polls
Few national elections have had similar consequences as the November Election in 2020. Our nation stands in crisis and at a significant crossroad. The Gamaliel Network, an interfaith coalition of persons of faith who stand and act together for justice and equality, pledges to undergird the 40 days leading up to the election with prayer and reflection.
We urge you to use the Common Prayer below every day. On each day, we have asked a faith leader, from different traditions, to offer a reflection on the Common Prayer at this Moment of American Crossroads. We urge you to begin this prayer preparation with a day of fasting on Sept. 24,(or a similar expression of spiritual preparation), and then to engage in prayer at a time of your choosing each day, to prepare yourself, your friends and neighbors, and our nation, for this election.
The Gamaliel Religious Leaders Table has written a “Theological Statement on Hate Crimes and White Nationalism.” a faith statement on “White Nationalism.” The link to this statement is: https://gamaliel.org/our-work/religious-leaders-caucus/gnrlc-a-faithful-response-to-hate-crimes-and-white-nationalism/
Each reflection will include the leader’s personal reflection, questions for contemplation, and a suggested scriptural text from their tradition.
The Gamaliel National Religious Leaders’ Steering Committee