Dear Shannon and Fellow Believers:

Do you remember the woman caught in adultery? The woman whom the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought to me? The woman who stood in the midst of her judges and executioners, her life and her heart in her hands. The woman whose sins had become public, naming her shame and reducing her to yet another case to be tried by the Law. That woman.

And do you remember that in the midst of those self-righteous men, I knelt and began to write in the sand? Still, these angry men persisted, clenching stones in their trembling fists, their eyes without light. It was then that I stopped writing, stood, and said, Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.

I knelt again, tracing words in the sand, waiting. One by one, these men left, leaving only the woman in my presence. And do you remember my words to her? Has no one condemned you? Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.

I want you to remember my words today as you elect a new leader for your country. There have been many who have condemned these candidates, and there will be just as many who will continue their condemnation regardless of the outcome. If either candidate was brought before me, my words would be the same today as they were that day when I knelt in the sand.

Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her or him. Has no one condemned you? Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin. 

You know that condemnation is quick and easy. It has filled your airwaves, your mailboxes, and your conversations. Today, and in the days to come, I ask you to examine your own hearts before you pick up a stone. Today, and the days to come, I will not condemn this man or woman, but I will charge them with sinning no more. As leaders and those who claim to believe in Me, I will convict them to live and lead justly and mercifully, as I would, as I have commanded.

And you? I charge you with lovingly, but consciously, holding them accountable for their promises and–more importantly–for following Me. (And just in case I need to spell this out, holding leaders accountable does not include rioting, speaking in hatred, threatening, or giving ultimatums. If you need help in this regard, look to my servant, Martin Luther King Jr. He knew how to hold to righteous convictions without resorting to violence. He got it right.)

Continue to pray for your leaders and your country. Pray for your own mercy and discernment. And hold fast, always, to my promise: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

In love,

Jesus