Three weeks from today it will be over. The Oval Office will have a new occupant. We will have a new president. Half of us will be celebrating and half will be grieving. Nearly everyone will be scratching their heads and wondering how we arrived at this place in our nation’s history. Regardless of how we voted, I think that it is safe to say that we will all be happy that this election season is over.
We have witnessed a disgraceful display of arrogance, a lack of common curtesy, and outright slander. Such behavior would not be tolerated at the Trinity Preschool.
So what now? How do we go forward in a country that is divided and is likely to remain divided?
Well, let’s go back to Preschool. Preschool is an interesting laboratory. Children arrive at school thinking that they are the center of the universe. In their limited experience, they get what they want by crying. They are not accustomed to group activity. They are not used to sharing toys, crayons, or the attention of adults. The concept of the “common good” is foreign to them.
It is not pretty but it is age appropriate. Over time the children are nurtured by their Preschool Teachers to a new level of maturity. They learn how to share, how to interact with others, and how to follow directions. They learn to wait their turn, and not to interrupt. It is not a straight line, but they make progress and are classroom ready by the time Kindergarten comes around.
The most important life lesson in Preschool is this: You are only responsible for your own behavior. The preschoolers are not responsible for the actions of their classmates. Their job is to be a good citizen, to follow directions, to be polite and thoughtful. They are only responsible for their own actions. After all, that is the only thing that they can control.
So we all have something to learn from Preschool. Going forward in your family, in your community, in your school and in your church—you are only responsible for your own behavior. Is that not a big enough challenge for you!
Explain your neighbor’s actions in the kindest possible terms. Work for the common good. Advocate for peace and justice. Confront your own prejudices. Pray for your enemies. Wake up every morning and ask yourself how you can make someone else’s life better.
We can’t save the world but we can make a difference. God expects us to make a difference. Every day you will have a thousand decisions to make—before you make those decisions ask if your behavior would be tolerated at the Trinity Preschool.
My love to you fellow toddlers.
Pastor Jim
