Right now, less than a week after the 2016 Presidential Election, our country is going through a pretty tough time. Some people are celebrating and some are mourning, but one thing that everyone is experiencing is divide. I'm not writing to discuss who should or shouldn't be president or to give you my political views, but rather to remind you that there is something out there that's a lot bigger than politics: God. God loves us all so much and I have no doubt that He is saddened by the hate that we are casting upon each other. Therefore, I challenge you all, instead of focusing on the hate, to focus on God's greatness and the love that He has for us and wants us to have for others. Ephesians 4 describes to us the importance of unity in the church, which is something that I think is essential to promote right now. After all, hate won't bring anyone closer to the solution that they want.

"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." (Ephesians 4:2)

I think it's safe to admit that people on both sides are at fault right now, and I know that it's extremely difficult to resist pointing these faults out, but doing so will not change anything; it will just widen the divide with anger. Remember that God still loves each and every one of us, no matter what our political beliefs are or what mistakes we make. So, as Christians, it is our job to try to share this love and acceptance with others.

"Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." (Ephesians 4:3)

Instead of focusing solely on who the president of our country is, we should be focusing on the ruler of the universe. He can do way more for us than any president ever could. By uniting as a church, we can experience peace in a way that can only come through Christ. Together, we have the ability to take this peace and use it to spread comfort to those around us.

"For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future." (Ephesians 4:4)

This verse reminds us of the hope that we can have for our futures. Because God loves us, he doesn’t want us to be troubled. Therefore, if we put our faith in Him, He will not lead us astray. It’s not always easy to be optimistic, but He has already created glorious futures for us, and it is important that we remind each other of this.

I believe that it is our job as Christians to set aside any anger and hard feelings that we may have towards others in order to focus on promoting this message. Fighting hate with love is so much more rewarding than fighting hate with hate.