Work and Pray

Less than 24 hours to go until the polls open tomorrow morning. Now is the time to take one last look at what we can do to give Carl, Tavi, Manuela, Wayne and Al every possible vote. Is there anyone you can still call or talk to in person? Do you know someone who needs a ride? Is there someone you know who is confused about the issues or facts surrounding this year’s election? These are all questions we can go over one final time, to make sure there’s nothing we missed, but it’s not likely we have, not at this late stage.

There is, however, one thing we can do.

I spent my high school years at Coleman Catholic in Kingston where we were taught by the Marist Brothers. Their slogan was “Ora et Labora” or “Pray and Work.” No one can doubt the number of hours we have all put into this campaign or the intensity of our work. We can be justifiably proud of what we have done and what we’re about to achieve, but what about the other side of the equation?

Prayer is one of the greatest forces influencing mankind throughout our history. The Declaration of Independence tells us that we are endowed with our Inalienable Rights by our Creator. Our Constitution talks about the “Blessings of Liberty.” Not gifts, but blessings, which can only come from God.

Our Founding Fathers believed in a God Who took personal interest in the course of humanity. While giving his farewell address, George Washington declared “You can't have National Morality apart from religious principle.” Thomas Jefferson called the Bible the “Cornerstone for American Liberty.” James Madison said, “We've staked our future on our ability to follow The Ten Commandments with all our heart.”

Prayer and a deep and abiding faith in the God Who answers our pleadings has long been the engine which drove this nation forward. Even the work of our hands was inspired by sayings such as “God helps those who help themselves.”

That same God directs us to love those who have done us harm, to turn our backs on hatred and spite. He also tells us to defend those who are being harmed. With clean consciences, we can and will remove from positions of power those who are destroying our Town. Just as important is our ability to forgive them the damage they have done us, all the times when they disregarded our rights and trampled on our freedoms. We forgive them because hate and anger will eat away at our own spirits.

We have done everything we can. The work is finished. All that is left is prayer.

Let us pray that God will Touch our neighbors’ hearts and bring them to the polls tomorrow. Let us pray for a new, brighter future for our Town. Let us pray for the strength and Grace to forgive our opponents and Love them as God Wills.

Let us pray for both victory and for the ability to show the other side compassion.

God willing, we will emerge from years of darkness tomorrow night.

God willing, our Town will move forward into light, towards a future bright and full of hope and unity.

God willing.