Ken Edwards, Senior Pastor

There is a character in the book named Ketchum, a crusty, rough-around-the-edges logger from northern New Hampshire, who keeps referring to America as a lost nation. Every time I read the words “lost nation,” I felt the sting of the words. I do not think America is a lost nation, but I do wonder if we have lost our way over the last few months.

Things like civil discourse, compromise, respect for human dignity, and the ability to work together to solve problems that affect all of us have been tossed aside—territoriality and one-upmanship have been allowed to rule the day. In our own community a serious case of road rage was prompted by a person’s dislike for a political bumper sticker. Most troubling to me is that racism has raised its ugly head at political rallies, on college campuses, in e-mails sent by corporate executives and even among our governing leaders. African American congressional leaders have been spat upon and called racist names. We have lost our way indeed.

These are not pleasant things to think about this close to Easter, but they cannot be ignored. We are Easter people and as such, we are called to model a different way of being in the world. Because of our faith and hope, we model civil discourse and know how to agree to disagree and still love each other at the end of the day. We model respect for all persons—a call that leads us to acts of social justice and concern for those who are cast aside. Easter people model forgiveness and reconciliation, and we understand that this difficult work leads to a glorious end. The church and other faith communities need to unite in these difficult times to be the conscience of a nation that has lost its way. Would you join me in a period of prayer and discernment about these concerns over the days and weeks ahead?