Jim Wallis, Adam Russell Taylor
Yesterday our nation saw 144,000 new COVID-19 cases, a staggering and heart-wrenching number, particularly as our nation tries to turn a corner after such a bruising election. While we both felt an overwhelming sense of relief and hope when news broke Saturday that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were declared winners of the election, events of the past few days show that this continues to be a season for fervent prayer, vigilance, and, if necessary, faithful action.
But the longer President Donald Trump continues to spread lies about the vote count and refuses to begin the transition process — and the longer the majority of Republicans capitulate — the greater the damage done to our democracy, eroding public trust and increasing the risk of violence. In a time of great anxiety and peril, we have decided to share our prayers of thanks and lament for our nation. We hope they can be a source of encouragement and grounding for the days ahead, as we continue to defend our democracy by putting our faith into action.
We give thanks for the opportunity to recognize this historic moment: Our nation has elected its first woman, first African American, and first person of South Asian descent as vice president, helping to reflect our nation’s growing diversity — and give people of all races, especially our children, a more accurate picture of what’s possible.
We lament how, after four years of President Trump’s racist and narcissistic rhetoric, actions, and policies, a majority of white voters and white Christians voted to give him a second term. We pray for the courage and love to commit ourselves to a much deeper, and even uncomfortable, conversation about the gospel and race in the body of Christ.
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