This means that the insidious divisiveness and period of not knowing is lengthened, indeterminate even, and now causing a social dis-ease that, combined with an increasingly scary pandemic, simmering racial injustice, and a still unpredictable economy, has more of us taking pills, calling psychologists, and simply feeling burned out, edgy, and unhappy.

When we open our Bibles and look at the lives of the early Christians and see the social and economic dynamic they faced - an unstable nation with oppression on many sides - we can understand why Jesus' message was as important back then as it is today.

It is in unstable times that our faith was birthed and finds fruition. Accordingly, we are urged to be hopeful, encouraged, and aware of the many promises God makes to take care of us.

Time after time, Christians in the most threatening circumstances of economic instability, political unrest, and personal trauma are assured by Jesus that they are not forgotten, that God is with them, that the trials they are going through will not end in defeat, and that there is work to do even as the world around us crumbles.

And so the challenge for you and me is to use this time, this precious and precarious time, to put things into perspective, re-stake our claim to Christian hope, do our best to toss aside the flaming arrows and negative temptations and draw nearer to God, God's peace, and God's rest.

Our challenge is also to stand for unity. This is a time for peacemaking, something dear to the heart of Jesus, looking first to do our part with our family and friends. Healing a divided nation begins by healing divided families and communities.

Finding this peace in ourselves and making peace with others is our goal and our challenge.

We do this and we win the election.