Yesterday, we heard a whale of a tale. It was a timely reminder that God’s love and mercy extends to even those that we find hard to love. After last week’s election, half the country was pleased with the outcome while the other half is feeling disenfranchised. Understandably, neither half is feeling particularly good about the other half right now.
This Sunday we’ll return to Jonah’s story – a real whale of a tale. Bad puns aside, we’ll witness a prophet who, despite himself, is swept up in God’s boundless mercy. After running from his call and reluctantly preaching to Nineveh, Jonah is angered when God spares the city.
I write not knowing the outcomes of yesterday’s elections that will be known or perhaps still unknown by the time you are reading this. On this day after election day, our spirits may be unsettled. We face the uncertainty of outcomes that shape our future and the lives of those we love. In times like these, it’s easy to be swept up in the urgency of results and the fears of “what if.” But there is a more important truth that we can already know.
Do you remember a time in your life when you were at the end of your rope, when you had nothing left to give? That feeling of being at or near empty is understandably paralyzing. The prospect of moving at all, let alone, in the right direction can seem impossible.
Yesterday, we wove together the story of Solomon’s temple, the celebration of Reformation Sunday, and the Confirmation ritual for three of our young members. Each element individually reflects God’s call to build communities that welcome, transform, and serve beyond themselves. Combined, these moments remind us that God’s presence cannot be confined—whether in a temple, a tradition, or a single moment of faith.