The Mosaic

Live in the Gap - Dear friends,

Yesterday many of us gathered in Vickrey Hall for our weekly Lunch and Learn and never have I felt more grateful to be a part of this community. Many of us had heavy hearts, given the results of the election, and others of us were just worried about living in what feels like an increasingly divided nation. There was comfort in gathering together as a family of faith and dividing the burden we all felt. 

As I mentioned yesterday, we stand in what Parker Palmer calls “the tragic gap.” The tragic gap is the space between reality and what could be. It will always be the case, on this side of eternity, that we will inhabit this tragic gap. At various times we become more aware of the gap, and yesterday we felt it acutely. In the days to come, we will all be tempted to either give way to corrosive cynicism, where we lose all hope, or ignorant idealism, where we throw up our hands and say God is in control. Both of these things take us out of the gap, remove us from our responsibility to each other, and help no one. So, I encourage you to live in the gap, be grieved by the reality that we find ourselves in but remain engaged. 

As I’ve been reflecting on my own feelings about our country’s future, I’ve also been reminded that my daily reality is lived in my home, my community, the associations I take part in, and my church (you!). These are the places that I can work to create safety, joy, love, and inclusion. I will continue that work with the hopes of making the world a better place, piece by piece. I encourage you to do the same. As John Wesley wrote, “We do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can.”

With great love for you all,
Pastor Victoria