They could only go forward

Recently Laura Healy shared with me some of the language of one of the Godly Play creation stories. In reference to Adam and Eve, newly banished from the Garden of Eden for having disobeyed the Creator’s instructions, the storyteller says, “They could only go forward, and they did.”

I write this article on Monday, November 2nd; it will be published on Wednesday, November 4th. In between, as though you need reminding, has been an election day—perhaps one of the most momentous in our country’s modern history. As of today, the election’s outcomes may be clear, or muddled. There may be a national sense of relief, or heightened tensions. Regardless, this is certain: We can only go forward from here.

What does going forward mean in this instance? For people of faith, it means what it means in every time and circumstance: seeking pathways of reconciliation, compassion, and understanding; and by such means, bearing witness to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ in a world longing for good news.

Our congregation began this pandemic year by turning to a specific psalm that held a verse of assurance so appropriate for that moment of upheaval, displacement, and concern. That very same verse has remained our companion through spring, summer, and now autumn of our Covid year. Today, on the day following election day, its message means more than ever:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1

Adam and Eve could only go forward, and they did. Likewise, as a nation, as a congregation, and as individuals and families, we can only go forward, and with God as our refuge and strength, we will.

Grace and peace.
Rev. Paul Escamilla, Senior Pastor