Dear OPUCC Family,

Grace and peace in the spirit of the one who calls us, equips us and names us beloved. Yesterday saw the culmination of much hard work, many hours of debate and countless amounts of money, time and energy. Yesterday we witnessed the election of the person who will serve as president of our country for the next four years. It will not surprise any of you to know that I personally am disappointed with the results of this election. I believe however, that what matters most is not necessarily who is in the White House, but that we collectively and individually recommit to our Call as members of Open Prairie to seek new ways to live into God's purpose of justice and inclusion for all people throughout our great nation and the world at large.

In listening to the Election coverage over the last few days it has become abundantly clear that the most recognizable face of Religion in our nation is a conservative one. This grieves me to my core. We at Open Prairie and we in the United Church of Christ know that religious conservativism does not make up the entirety of Christianity. There are plenty of us who consider ourselves Christian, who are deeply religious, deeply spiritual, deeply connected to God and who feel that those beliefs implore us to stand up for the very people religious conservatives seek to oppress.

The Religious Right touts an ideology that is a difficult one to be in relationship with especially when it is combined with Patriotism. The assumption appears to be that if one disagrees with the assertions of this particular brand of "Religion," one is neither Christian nor Patriotic. There is a lot of money and a lot of power behind the messages of bigotry and exclusivity preached by the right wing religious in the name of God and country. Nevertheless, it is our obligation as progressive people of faith to continue to speak out loudly on behalf of the poor and the marginalized, to care for the environment as it has been entrusted to humanity, and to encourage all governments to seek peaceful solutions to global conflict. While for some these issues are seemingly little more than artillery in an loaded socio/political/religious armory, we must never forget that people's lives and the safety of our planet are at stake.

There has never been a more important time for Progressive Christians to find and to use their voices for freedom and for equality. Friends now, perhaps more than ever, we must invest our energies in speaking out about God's inclusive love for all people. Our prayers are with all those in leadership in the US and around the globe that they might remember that we are all God's children, equally blessed, equally entitled to justice and freedom and equally beloved.

In Christ's name,

Rev. Curran Reichert