"It’s essential that we remember the heart of the Gospel: love, compassion, and inclusion." Andrew Ware Yes your writing was longer than many Substack posts, but as a person who has been married to a Pastor for 52 years, your thoughts and challenges resonated with me. Pastors' Wives and children face the same dilemmas.
Thank you for your kind comments. I have always been acutely aware of your situation as I even watch my wife care for our children on some Sundays and then hear comments from parishoners. To be in church leadership and even associated with it, puts those in those positions under an unfair microscope when they don't fit the mold of who others think they should be. It breaks my heart many times, especially when it highlights the fragility of our Christian communities to not be able to handle differences of opinions at times.
Very interesting explanation about the complexity of faith and politics. My husband and I voted this morning after our bike workout and although we'd spent quite a bit of time researching candidates, we weren't incredibly optimistic about the choices presented to us... Honestly, it's all a bit sad, really. "The best of the worst." I don't vote along party lines, although I lean more Republican. We vote by looking at the (stated) beliefs and principles of each candidate and see how closely those align with our Biblical values. Then we make our decision. It would be nice if people would realize that extremity doesn't get anyone anywhere- cooperation does.
I appreciate how you say “your biblical values.” I think that is something that the church struggles with. I often see that those in the church try to consider it a monolith of political opinion and anything counter to that is treated negatively. I seek a day for open dialogue that helps us grow together and hear one another. Thank you for your comment.
"It’s essential that we remember the heart of the Gospel: love, compassion, and inclusion." Andrew Ware Yes your writing was longer than many Substack posts, but as a person who has been married to a Pastor for 52 years, your thoughts and challenges resonated with me. Pastors' Wives and children face the same dilemmas.
Thank you for your kind comments. I have always been acutely aware of your situation as I even watch my wife care for our children on some Sundays and then hear comments from parishoners. To be in church leadership and even associated with it, puts those in those positions under an unfair microscope when they don't fit the mold of who others think they should be. It breaks my heart many times, especially when it highlights the fragility of our Christian communities to not be able to handle differences of opinions at times.
Very interesting explanation about the complexity of faith and politics. My husband and I voted this morning after our bike workout and although we'd spent quite a bit of time researching candidates, we weren't incredibly optimistic about the choices presented to us... Honestly, it's all a bit sad, really. "The best of the worst." I don't vote along party lines, although I lean more Republican. We vote by looking at the (stated) beliefs and principles of each candidate and see how closely those align with our Biblical values. Then we make our decision. It would be nice if people would realize that extremity doesn't get anyone anywhere- cooperation does.
I appreciate how you say “your biblical values.” I think that is something that the church struggles with. I often see that those in the church try to consider it a monolith of political opinion and anything counter to that is treated negatively. I seek a day for open dialogue that helps us grow together and hear one another. Thank you for your comment.