Navigating politics and religion

BUMC aims to reconcile post-election differences

by Dan Holland

In the mist of a heated general election season, a six week-long course being offered on Sunday mornings beginning Oct. 6 at Brecksville United Methodist Church hopes to provide a fresh perspective on the bigger picture.

“After Party: Toward better Christian politics” will be taught in the church chapel by Jim Slagle from 9-10:25 a.m. through Sunday, Nov. 10.

“I think everyone is feeling the anxiety leading into the election season, and we were recognizing that,” said Senior Pastor Heidi Welch. “One of our goals is to help people apply their faith to daily life, and recognizing that this coming election is a big deal. It’s on people’s minds; it’s breaking apart families, and people are struggling with it.”

According to Welch, the idea for the series came about last summer, as the election season media blitz hit full-stride.

“We started thinking this summer on what we could do leading up to the election to help people to process and work through it all by going back to Scripture and looking at what Scripture says about it all,” she said.

The church finished a series just prior, entitled “Do Unto Others,” Welch said. “A number of other UMC churches around the country are also doing that series,” she said. “It’s all part of a ‘kindness campaign’ where we’re not campaigning for a political party or candidate, but campaigning for kindness, and looking at Scripture and what it means to ‘do unto others’.”

“With that series, and with the After Party Study, it’s looking at how we can have constructive conversations about faith and politics and don’t end up fighting with one another,” she continued. “How do we do it with love and humility, and what does God call us to do? That was the impetus for all of us.”

The classes, which are open to all, will also be available online. Themes include how to relate to others, and engaging political/sociological questions through the lens of hope and humility, said Welch.

“Anyone is welcome to come,” she said. “We want people to come and feel welcome to come and have conversations. The only thing we ask is that you come with an open and willing heart and aren’t coming here to harm. But all are welcome.”

Welch said the series offers a chance for healing and meaningful dialogue with others who may not see eye-to-eye on a number of issues.

“It’s relevant to the current times because it’s what people are dealing with every day,” said Welch. “We are all driving around seeing political signs and having visceral reactions and sometimes demonizing someone because of a sign in their yard. That’s not healthy, and it’s not how God has called us to be.”

“One of the biggest things is that personally, I sometimes struggle within my own family with being on different sides of issues, and the harm that can be done through that,” she continued. “We want people to see that there’s an opportunity for healing and an opportunity for focusing and overcoming – that this [election season] will not break everything and remain that way. We want to show that there is hope for healing and newness after all of this.”  ∞