Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Daily Office Reflection: Set Free From This Bondage

Psalms 72 * 119:3-96; Ecclesiasticus 43:23-33; Revelation 16:1-11; Luke 13:10-17

What an historic moment we are living in right now. After months of uncertainty and doubt and concern for many people, the American people, in droves, stepped forward yesterday and made a change. We elected, to our highest and most powerful political office, the first non-white person, the first individual who is bi-racial, the first person from African descent to hold that esteemed office. For me, there is such a feeling of relief.

Our Gospel reading for The Daily Office provides us with a crippled woman who had suffered her ailment for 18 years. Jesus heals her, the temple officials get pissed off because he does this on a Sunday and Jesus replies that he has treated her appropriately, no matter the day, and that he has set her free from this bondage that has enslaved her. Perhaps that is some of the relief I feel, that we have been set free from a bondage that has ruled this country. Not the bondage of Republicans over Democrats, but the bondage that is the shameful history of slavery that still haunts parts of this country. Many of the commentators on television last night were talking about a post-racial world, a post-racial attitude among people of non-African heritage. That it did not matter to them that their candidate did not have the same color skin. I hope and pray that this is true. 

Standing in line to vote yesterday, there was an enormous pride and hopefulness expressed by the non-white voters that is incredibly inspiring. Perhaps this bondage that has held us captive, this shame that has gotten in the way of our country truly moving forward has, although never to be forgotten, has been set free from us allowing, for the first time, this deep wound that has festered for hundreds of years to begin healing. May God allow this healing to happen quickly.

A Prayer for the (new) President of the United States:
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.  (BCP, prayer 19)

jfd+

Copyright 2008, John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.

No comments:

Post a Comment