The day after the election I visited a local parish to volunteer with Families Moving Forward, an interfaith housing collaborative that partners local congregations with families in need. The program offers families experiencing homelessness hospitality, emergency shelter, and a path to home with support for stability. “In addition to a safe place to sleep and a warm meal, volunteers share kindness and compassion with families experiencing homelessness.”

I was ambivalent about volunteering on this particular night. Several large gatherings of citizens were voicing their disappointment in response to election results across the city. Several transportation corridors were blocked by protestors. As I drove toward the parish, I became increasingly unsure of what I would encounter in the hearts and minds of volunteers and the people we would serve. The radio was painstakingly broadcasting speculation and uncertainty about the future of the nation.

As I sat in my car in the parish parking lot, I became aware of the feeling of inadequacy in my heart in the face of tension and division. I decided to pray for all the people I was about to encounter on a mission of mercy. I prayed that I could share with others the mystery of Christ that has changed my very being and has revealed man’s pathway and destiny. I prayed that insecurity would be vanquished by the new attitude of all-embracing solidarity that emerges in the hearts of Christians who share the meaning of life.

The evening was incredible. We cooked and ate meals together. We laughed and played games. We shared about our lives and spoke from our experience. I had the profound awareness of the living reality of Christ’s presence at work among each one of us. I became more certain that I want to live my life in a manner that will enable me to embrace reality at every moment. The greater my certainty in our destiny, the greater my sympathy with everything I encounter as I strive to invite others to a present experience of “the good”.