There’s something restorative about watching the world move through its seasons. Even with climate destruction, the slant of light in the autumn, the swirl of falling leaves, and the clarity of the stars on a non-hazy, non-mosquito-ey evening bring a clarity that this — THIS — never changes. This season in particular invites us to pay attention to what is falling away. That thought can feel bothersome. But the trees keep doing what trees do, fully unbothered. They release. And their falling leaves provide a blanket of protection for next summer’s fireflies. (Think about the last time you saw a bumper crop of lightning bugs — did you fail to rake the previous year? The more you know…) We’re just beyond [blessedly peaceful] elections, and in a protracted season of loud, louder and loudest civic life, perhaps we could consider what, as people of faith, we need to release and what we need to protect. We might release the impulse to have the last word, yours truly included. Listen, God knows my heart. Some of us might need to let go of the idea that faithfulness belongs to one political party. But we should protect our commitment to human dignity and justice, to difficult truth-telling, to caring for, not abusing, God’s creation, to protecting those targeted by the powerful and the fearful. These are non-negotiables. We have to remember and understand that each of us is made by God, in the image of God, beloved by God, and we carry that understanding with us as much on a Tuesday afternoon at 4:45 as on a Sunday morning at 11:00. To borrow a phrase from the elders: It means we practice what we preach. Faith and civic engagement needn’t be compartmentalized. Sometimes it means wrapping your faith around you and putting your name on the ballot. Last week, five Presbyterians in various leadership roles (elders, pastors, seminarians) were elected to national offices. Even more Presbyterians and Presbyterian-adjacent folks were elected to state and local offices. Or you could run for the HOA board and get rid of the clause requiring neighbors to rake their leaves. Do it for the fireflies. As the leaves continue to fall, may we find the grace to release what keeps us from loving one another. Thinking ahead: The Outlook has just released its Advent devotional and Advent resources, but we’re already thinking ahead to Lent. This year’s Lenten devotional, Immediately: Mark’s Gospel For an Urgent Time, written by Outlook Editor and Publisher Teri McDowell Ott, is in the works for your church or group study. Full description and sample here
Dartinia Hull
Managing Editor
Presbyterian Outlook | 
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