1. I once thought that my spiritual life was separate from and more significant than my civic life. As a pastor I operated in this way. I was always involved in the community, but it was secondary. I now know this was wrong. #WeThePeople
2. I know this was a luxury grounded in #privilege. Civic life makes the rights of the vulnerable possible. Civic life makes access to education and health care possible. Civic life is based on equality. And equality flows from free and fair elections.
3. The history of #racism in the United States is the history of voter suppression. The suppression of the vote through #USPSsabotage, the dismantling of the #PostalService, is the latest chapter in voter suppression. It violates our democracy. It cannot be justified.
4. My spiritual life has become more integrated with my civic life. It is about the image of God in every person. It is about love of neighbor. It is about the oppportunity for all to flourish, in the Old Testament, that all will sit under their own vines and fig tree.
5. The division of spiritual and civic life can also lead to rationalization, that the end justifies the means. And so we let go of decency and morality, we tolerate corruption, denial and even incompetence. In the present moment, with #COVID19, this is killing our nation.
6. This fall, we will need to vote. Vote to have a scientific and humane response to #COVID19. Vote on policies that are the work of #antiracism. Vote to rebuild our ruined cities. Vote in a way that unites our spiritual and civic lives, for the common good.
