By Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle
DURING the Easter season, our lectionary includes readings from the Book of Acts (unless the semi-continuous readings have been chosen for the cycle). This gives us important insights into the ways in which the fledgling Christian community sought to embody what they had learned from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The stories from this text remain an important invitation and challenge to us as we seek to embody our faith in this world today.
What this looks like extends beyond what happens on Sunday morning. As modelled by Christians throughout history, faith is meant to influence every aspect of our lives. The call to love our neighbours as ourselves doesn’t just happen within the confines of our churches. It happens every day in the choices we make, in the ways we seek and serve Christ in all persons, and the ways we respect the dignity of every human being. This means that faith ought to influence the choices we make when we engage in the electoral process, both in our conversations with candidates and as we cast our votes.
So, what can we learn from the Book of Acts, as we reflect on our engagement with the current Federal election: the choices we make at the ballot box and in holding the elected officials accountable for building a just world?
All who believed were together and had all things in common, they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. (Acts 2:45)
There are multiple passages suggesting that the early Christian community distributed resources based on need! What we might learn from that for today is this community would provide resources like food, housing, medication, dental care, and affordable daycare to individuals and families simply because they needed it. There would be no hoops to jump through to prove they somehow deserved it. The Christian community would find a way to ensure that those who needed resources could have them simply because they are neighbours, family whom the Christians are called to love and care for.
To what extent have we considered the policies and practices of the political parties and their approaches to providing for those in need? How does each party choose who benefits from the resources available? To what extent does each party respond to human need with the loving provision of resources? What priorities get in the way of this kind of loving response? How can we better hold our elected officials accountable for caring for our neighbours, our siblings in need?
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. (Acts 8:27)
This is but one story in which the Book of Acts highlights the openness of the fledgling Christian community to a diversity of individuals. Philip is called by the Spirit into an encounter with a racialized, gender non-binary individual who is open to learning about faith. At the Ethiopian’s request, Philip baptises this person and welcomes them into the Christian community.
Following the inauguration in the US, Bishop Budde asked Trump to have mercy on those who are scared now. We have seen policies from the US have drastic impacts on marginalised communities. The Ethiopian eunuch could easily be a member of those communities and yet, we have this powerful story of inclusion.
As we cast our votes, to what extent are we paying attention to whether there are communities who are scared about the policies and practices of any of the parties? Is there anything that candidates have said or done that have raised red flags suggesting further marginalization for those who are our neighbours, our siblings in Christ, those whom we are called to serve? Are we prepared to call upon candidates to have mercy? Are we prepared to have mercy ourselves to the point where perhaps the choice we make at the ballot box is based on what is necessary to protect those who might be scared now?
There are a plethora of stories and examples from the Book of Acts that remind us about what it means to embody our faith based in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Every one of us could benefit from reading this text and reflecting on these stories in relation to our engagement in world today and our participation in this Federal election.
Our participation in this process is a right, a privilege, and a responsibility. It is one of the important ways in which we can transform unjust structures, challenge violence of every kind, and pursue peace and reconciliation. To what extent will your faith inform your vote in this federal election?
Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle is a co-chair of SEJH.