An invitation for town residents to join Saugus Election Eve Prayer Vigil on Nov. 4

By The Rev. John Beach

St. John’s Episcopal Church

“The loudest voices we hear are those who advocate conflict, divisiveness.”—former Senator John C. Danforth

“Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” —Ephesians 4:31-32

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” —The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

We live in dangerous times. The words we speak and the opinions we share are often an offense to others. We are very cautious when choosing our words lest they be taken out of context and used against us. This is becoming more evident as we approach Election Day. As a priest, I struggle to be an instrument of reconciliation at a time when the loudest voices we hear have a vested interest in fanning the flames of conflict and divisiveness.

As the 2024 election approaches, emotions run high, and our families, faith communities, and neighbors feel the weight of hope, fear, anxiety, and exhaustion. Amidst the noise of campaign ads and social media debates, there is a call for peace, unity, and prayer. We find ourselves at the crossroads of conscience with the voices of vitriol and extremism resounding ever more loudly around us.

I invite any interested persons to join me in an Election Eve Prayer Vigil which is being held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday, November 4th at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Saugus (at the corner of Central and Prospect Streets).

The vigil is not a partisan exercise, but a call to remember that we carry within us hopes and aspirations for our country and its future. Perhaps it is not too extreme to recall the words with which Abraham Lincoln concluded his inaugural address:

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

In the vigil, we shall be seeking to be reacquainted with those better angels – which have made us a great people and the United States a great nation.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: The Rev. John Beach, revjbeach@gmail.com; phone: 781-233-1242.