“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
- John 16:33
In these tense times, this verse is such a comfort to me. It feels very clear these days, with the pandemic numbers climbing, the winter coming, and with our country feeling more divided than ever, that we have trouble in this world. I love the reminder Jesus gives his disciples here, “In me you may have peace.” This is such a good reminder for my weary heart. Our peace does not come from a political party or from a president or from an outcome of an election or from the state of our bank accounts or our health or our nation. Our peace is found in Jesus, who promises that we will have trouble, but who also promises that we can take heart because He has overcome the grave. He has been to our deepest places of pain and division, and he has walked through them. His love beat death. He gave His life for us so that we could have abundant life now and forever. His love didn’t align with any political party. His love demonstrated the kingdom of God, where the lost are found, the broken are crowned, and souls rise up from the ground. Let us not put our hope in a political party. People and political systems are important to engage with in love, but we will never find true peace in any one political party or person. Our peace is in Christ, the ultimate load bearing bridge from death to life, from hopeless to held, and we must each do our part. Let us remember that all people are made in the image of God. Both republicans and democrats are made in the image of God.
