Words From The Warden
Political Solution For A Spiritual Problem
Several things have had me feeling unsettled over the past few days. My friend Steve died unexpectedly two weeks ago. Kay, my beloved high school teacher, passed away after a long illness, though it has now been several weeks since her death. This morning, I learned that Dolly Parton died. I have never considered myself a country music fan, but she wrote and performed two of my favorite songs: “I Will Always Love You” and “Coat of Many Colors.”
At first glance, Steve, Kay, and Dolly Parton may seem to have had little in common. Each belonged to a different part of my life, and each touched a different community. Yet their deaths have stayed with me because each of them loved others with uncommon strength. In their own ways, they helped create a sense of belonging—through friendship, through teaching, and through music. Together, their lives remind me that community is built not only through public leadership or shared institutions, but through the steady, personal ways people care for one another.
Last night, just before I went to bed, I came across a social media clip of John Kasich. Kasich served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001 and later served as Ohio’s 69th governor from 2011 to 2019. In the clip, Kasich suggested that perhaps we are searching for a political answer to what is really a spiritual problem. Over the years, I have not agreed with Governor Kasich on much, but on this point, he may be onto something.
Last Sunday, we read about Pharaoh and how he came to hate and fear the Israelites. He used his political power to enslave Joseph’s people and even to take their lives. Pharaoh did everything he could to make the Egyptians afraid of the Israelites. That fear hardened into political strife, and political strife led to the terrible treatment of the Jewish people.
There was certainly no true sense of community in Pharaoh’s actions. But within the Israelite population, there was deep communal strength. Even under oppression, they endured—and they thrived. Pharaoh’s political pressure could not overcome the power of a community bound together by the love of God.
Then we heard Paul’s words to the church in Rome. He reminded them—and reminds us today—not to conform to this world or to the political powers within it, but to be transformed by the knowledge of God’s will – what is good and acceptable.
Paul taught that God has created us to be one body with many members. Each person has gifts to offer, and each gift strengthens the whole community.
Some are called to teach.
Some serve as pastors, ministers, and leaders.
Some model generosity.
Some lead with diligence, cheerfulness, and care.
This is what community is: many people, with many gifts, forming one body together.
To Dolly, Steve, and Kay: thank you for the love you shared and for the communities you helped build while you were here. And John, you are onto something. If our deepest problem is spiritual, then our response must be more than political. We must be transformed rather than conformed—and, with God’s help, we must do that work together.
Peace,
Henry Zaborniak, Senior Warden