If you happen to be reading this and there is still time to vote, please stop what you're doing and go vote. By voting, you are expressing faith in the integrity of the election system and you are actively rejecting the lies that have sown doubt and distrust in it.

One side preemptively peddles the accusation of unfairness—despite the objective impossibility of large-scale collusion across 50 states, 90,000 voting locations, and over a million election workers; despite fail-safe chains of authorization and vote count audits; despite officials on both sides testifying that our voting system is rigorous, safe, and without compromise; despite only finding a handful of illegitimate registrants in the 2020 election (less than 0.0001%); and despite all the transparency and verifiability. But suspicion benefits Donald Trump because it fits the narrative of a conspiracy-prone electorate that he has incubated, shepherded, and harnessed. Cast doubt. Reject defeat. It's his trump card. It's the ace up his sleeve.

If Donald Trump wins the electoral college, we will accept the results and will commit to praying for him—that wise counselors will surround him and that he will receive counsel, walk humbly, and make wise decisions. And if Kamala Harris wins, we shall pray those same blessings of favor and wisdom over her. Yet, there is a minority of hard-core Trump believers who have taken his rhetoric to heart and who will believe it was stolen from him...again. They will believe it not because they are gullible but because it is expedient. It fits the narrative: that they are the good guys and the others are the bad guys; that there is a spiritual war of morality being waged and they must not give up the good fight; that they must win, otherwise they "won't have a nation anymore." IF Donald Trump loses, many of these good-faith people may be driven to extreme measures because of The Big Lie 2.0.

In the wake of a Harris win, most Trump supporters will experience disappointment and pain as they come to terms with reality. But the fog of deception will continue to cling to a segment of the Maga electorate, especially for those conditioned to reject reality. They will continue to be stuck in the first two stages of grief (denial and anger) on a loop. The truth is, they have been on that Ferris wheel for a long time. Good people naturally follow the path of grief through bargaining and depression all the way to acceptance. But, if the grieving process gets sabotaged by the validation of the denial and anger of a critical mass of one’s peers, bad things can happen. This is how mobs form—individual grievances weave together to create a narrative that legitimizes the fear, fuels the collective pain, and, like a chain reaction, can boil over into mob violence. This is what happened on January 6, 2021. And it could happen again.

But that's where WE come in—we, Republicans and Democrats, who want to keep this ship from sinking and protect our nation from violence—WE must inject ourselves into the conversation. We cannot hide. The adults in the room must stand up. Level heads must rule. When the disciples feared the storm, Jesus spoke, "Peace." That kind of peace is cultivated internally. And it's a peace that spills over into community harmony, which takes a lot of emotional energy and true courage. And true courage is a byproduct of being filled with love and possessed by a passion for unity...and a conviction that division itself is the enemy.

We can help minimize post-election disappointment chaos by extending our arms, initiating kindness, and expressing our desire for continued friendship. If we do that, then WE will win. If we demean, deride, or caricature folks who, knowingly or unknowingly, were deceived by divisiveness and carried away by fear, then we will be putting in an order for future animus. Those hatchets we thought got buried will germinate and grow into bigger axes. But, if we put in the work of bridging the divide and getting on the same page, we will contribute to a deeply needed national healing and reconciliation.

The results of this election do not mark the end of the conversation but rather the beginning. Open the doors to your home. Invite them in for tea or coffee. Every peace-loving, neighbor-serving, Jesus-emulating Christian has a duty to reach out to their neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Jesus teaches the answer to that question is always yes, and that each of us can be the good Samaritan. If you have an opportunity to speak up, these following days and weeks will be the time. Hug someone. Call someone. Write to someone. Say the words, "I see you." Say, "I need you in my life." Every individual invitation will remove one individual from the potential chain reaction of violence.

Our Enlightenment-steeped founding fathers all had intimate experience with corrupted church-states that were trying to become the literal manifestation of God's kingdom on earth. It's why they established America to be a secular nation, separate from church powers or influence. Jesus never commanded us to build kingdoms; the instruction was to go, teach, and immerse (baptize). He taught that his kingdom was not of this earth. It was an invisible kingdom; only parables could describe it; only metaphor could approach it. It was a kingdom marked by the beatitudes. It did not follow titles; it was no respecter of age, intellect, or wealth; in fact, it often eluded those with all the proper credentials. His spiritual kingdom was as real as every individual believed it and lived it to be. His coronation was a crucifixion, and his kingdom's inauguration was a heart-wrenching political and religious loss—Rome destroyed Jerusalem, and the earthly temple was ultimately destroyed. BUT, the veil of separation has torn, and God's presence delivered by the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all believers has spilled out to fill the whole earth. At times, we cast shadows by hiding our lamps under baskets and beds and such, but thankfully, some still let out the light, faithfully shining "this little light o' mine" into every dark corner and every dimmed heart they come across.

Every sacrifice, every small act of selflessness, every attempt at building community, every smile and helping hand are the manifestations of that invisible, yet intimately tangible, kingdom. We were given the keys to that kingdom. We were adopted as sons and daughters into that kingdom. We were made royalty in that kingdom. All we have to do is believe it. All we have to do is act in keeping with our spiritual authority to live out that joy and peace and righteousness. We are the bridges and brokers of heavenly storehouses of wisdom and kindness and forgiveness to all the people in our lives. We do not need to wait for some leader or party or government to validate that. We walk in the light, and no darkness can snuff it out. We walk in the ways of the Spirit, and no argument can silence a life of love. We bear the fruit of the Spirit, and no law or government would stand against them ("...against these, there is no law..." Gal. 5).

Let's defeat the darkness with light. Let's overwhelm the weeds with seeds of goodness. Let's bring honesty back into our public discourse and honor back into public service. Let's grow bigger hearts and hug our communities back together. If we do these things and persevere, we will certainly reap a harvest of blessings for our children’s and our grandchildren's sakes. And that invisible kingdom—that kingdom that he has entrusted us with—will grow.

It is time to rise up and reject the lies and the fear that have been injected into the bloodstream of our body politic. This election is a referendum on hate, division, blatant disregard for objective truth, and disrespect of our institutions. Get out there and vote for the future. Vote for sanity. Vote for Unity!