Jim Coppoc.

My girlfriend protests for what she believes in. She demonstrates. She wears costumes or t-shirts and carries signs. When she is in protest mode, she is in your face, and there is no mistaking what she believes in, or how she would like you to vote.

As a pastor, I am prohibited from using my (tax exempt) position to support or oppose any political candidate or campaign. This is an ethical position as well as a legal one. I serve the whole community, not just one party. If any pastor does try to tell you whom to vote for, it’s a pretty good indicator you should run far away.

Instead, I promote values. I talk to people about love, grace, justice and inclusion. I remind them of the words and actions of Jesus, on whose example we base our religion. I appeal to the person’s conscience, to the Spirit within, and leave what happens on their ballot up to them.

My girlfriend and I talk about our approaches quite a bit. I don’t wear political t-shirts, even those that aren’t about a particular campaign, because I see them as thought-terminating cliches that shut dialogue down rather than open it up. She stickers every water bottle she owns with political slogans because it is a way of reaching out, and letting others know she is on their side. In the end, my goal is to be an approachable person that anyone can talk to about their worldview. Hers is to showcase solidarity, and let oppressed people know they are not alone. We both do work that matters.

I am writing this column two days before the election. By the time it posts, America will have chosen a new president. There may be a few recounts or lawsuits still to get through, but the voting will be done. No matter what happens, we will all need to find a way to move forward and keep doing the work that needs to be done. In the aftermath of what has been another contentious and divisive election season, I invite you to consider both my girlfriend’s and my approaches. We need to learn to talk to each other without bumper sticker slogans getting in the way. We also need to find clear, articulate ways to show solidarity with those who feel scared and alone in the current climate. Either way, the only way out of this mess we’re in is together.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sits down with his disciples and talks to them about the end of times – about wars and famines and lawlessness and oppression. He tells them about the final judgment, and spells out exactly how they will be judged. Those who treated the hungry, the immigrant, the poor, the infirm and the prisoner well will inherit the kingdom of God. Those who did not will be sent away from God’s presence. Whether or not you believe in the Christian God, these are not bad guidelines to live by.

Jim Coppoc serves Ripley United Church of Christ at 400 S. Main Street in Traer. After a long career in both academia and human services, he has settled into a comfortable existence as a writer, part-time “Bridge Pastor,” and full-time musician in the memory care unit at the Iowa Veterans Home. You can find Jim online at www.facebook.com/jim.at.ripley.