Before you read this, I want you to know I am afraid to put this article out there for others to judge. I considered not publishing it because I didn't know if I wanted to be a part of the huge group of articles and social media posts that have already been done on this topic. However, I thought about it and decided to publish this. Not because I think what I have to say is necessarily the right thing, but because I think at the very least what I have to say is worth others reading.

On Wednesday morning, like many other college campuses I’m sure, I felt like Judson University and its students were one moment away from falling apart. There were some that were celebrating. Some that were devastated. And the rest of us were just kind of unsure how to feel. This thing that had consumed our lives for the last 18-24 months was over. The votes were in. Donald Trump was named the President of the United States of America.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10am, Judson University has chapel for the students on campus to attend. I think many students chose to forego chapel on Wednesday, and I totally get that. Many people were emotionally and physically tired. However, I decided I was going to attend chapel. As our chaplain was speaking on the news we had just gotten the night before, he said something to the effect of this. “I don’t care if you like Trump. I don’t care if you think Trump is the worst person to be president. I don’t care.” With this opening phrase he already had my attention. I liked what he was saying. As he continued to speak, I couldn’t help myself from nodding my head in agreement. He was the first person addressing this election in a way that got through to me. Next our chaplain said the phrase that I haven’t been able to forget since Wednesday. He said, “Now is when we see what the church is really made of”.

Wow. Isn’t that so true though? Our country is in a time of complete and utter chaos. Whether someone supports or does not support Trump, we’re all searching for reconciliation for the separation the election caused in our nation. We’re all searching for direction on what to do next. We are all just searching for some light in this dark time that our country is in…now is our chance, church. Now is the time we can stand up. Now is the time we HAVE to stand up. We need to be the light that everyone is searching for. I think more now than ever, people are going to open their hearts to anything that can promise them goodness, light, and hope in their lives. That’s where we come in. As the body of Christ, we need to take advantage of this opportunity to share the good news. We can show them that the only one who can offer these things that they are looking for is Christ. Trump will not make America great again. But also, Hillary Clinton would not have made America great again. The only one who can save this country is the one who made it, Jesus.

So what are you going to do? I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to love more recklessly than I ever have. I’m going to be a light in dark situations. I’m going to speak words of hope into what seems like a hopeless generation. “Now is when we see what the church is really made of.”