God Bless America
Dear West Covina Christian Church,
Many of us today watched the historic moment of the swearing in of a new President. As I listened to President Biden’s inaugural address, one thing that stood out was how many times he made reference to God. There are deep divisions in our country right now that none of us want to see persist. Those divisions can creep into the church and affect how we see one another and our ability to love one another unconditionally.
As Christians, we know that it is through faith in God that we can truly have the peace and love in our hearts that would bring about the kind of unity that President Biden spoke of possible. While we may have reasonable differences of opinion when it comes to political policy, I encourage you to pray for President Biden today, all our government leaders, and our country. We pray not only for unity, but we also pray for God to work in our country so that many more would come to know Him and trust Him.
It is always a little risky for a church to speak on topics that have clear political associations. However, it is both my conviction and Pastor Darren’s conviction that we don’t shy away from God’s truth in any area, even those areas that have political undertones. The Bible has a lot to say on some of our most pressing political topics. As a church we want to directly engage in these issues in healthy and spiritually productive ways. We want to study the Scriptures and teach on how the Bible helps us to understand these difficult topics, encourage you to graciously talk with one another and the leadership of our church about these things (we would be pleased to discuss any topic with you), and pray for God’s wisdom (both for yourself and for our leaders).
Finally, if there is anything we ought to be able to agree on, it is that we are to pray for our leaders. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). As self-evident as it should be to us as Christians to pray for our leaders, we too often fail to do as we should. May today be a day of prayer and hope as we place our faith, not ultimately in an administration, but in God Himself.
God bless America,
Pastor Kory
