"Vote Like We’re All Interconnected ... Because We Are"
Ephesians 4:1-6
Rev. Emily Labrecque, Westmoreland UCC
October 25, 2026
I want to begin with a story.
“The Aboriginal people of Victoria, Australia tell a story about a greedy frog: Long ago, in the heart of the Australian outback, there lived a greedy frog named Tiddalik. One day, overcome by an unquenchable thirst, he drank all the water in the land – every river, creek, and billabong – leaving the earth dry and cracked. Without water, the other animals grew desperate. The trees wilted, the birds’ songs fell silent, and the kangaroos’ powerful legs weakened. The animals gathered to devise a plan. They knew Tiddalik wouldn’t release the water unless they made him laugh. But how to make such a grumpy frog laugh? One by one, the animals tried. The emu danced a silly jig, the kookaburra cackled his loudest laugh, and the wombat rolled down a hill, but Tiddalik remained stone-faced.
Finally, Nabunum the eel slithered forward and twisted himself into such strange, contorted shapes that even the serious Tiddalik couldn’t resist. His belly shook, and a deep rumble of laughter burst from him. As he laughed, the water gushed from his mouth, flooding the land once more. The rivers flowed again, the trees drank deeply, and life returned to the land. The animals rejoiced, grateful for the water, and Tiddalik learned that holding too much for oneself only brings misery.”[1]
Let us pray. [Pray.]
I’ll return to Tiddalik in a moment. First, some context for our scripture. Ephesus was a large city in what is now western Turkey. It was a multicultural epicenter where many Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were worshiped. Paul’s time in Ephesus was wild (Acts 19): miracles, baptisms, and a full-blown economic riot.
The first chapters of Ephesians recap the gospel story and its multicultural following. Paul reminds the people of Ephesus that this gospel story should inform the way we live. He goes on to remind them that though they come from many lands, they are indeed all still children of one God who is “above all and through all and in all.”
This was a really important message for the Ephesians. They lived in a place where people from all manner of religious perspective had come and gathered. There were Jews, Jewish Christians, Romans, and Greeks which meant a lot of different belief systems, cultures, and expressions. Paul urged unity – and notice, he calls for unity, not uniformity. Did you hear the “seven ones” in this passage? One body, one spirit, one hope, one lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. This unity is about God gathering all God’s people under her wings. It is not human uniformity – it is not about looking the same, eating the same, believing the same. It is the acknowledgement that God’s family consists of many different people with varying talents, perspectives, and passions, called to love one another.
It would have been desirable in the 1st century to remain ethnically and religiously loyal to your own people so as to not stir the waters. However, they, and thus we, are being called beyond that because God’s love reminds us that we’re all interconnected.
That sense of interconnectedness is not just a perception ... It is real. Here’s some evidence. On a biological level, as I speak and you listen, or when we have a conversation, our brain activity synchronizes and mirrors one another. When we sing together, our heart rates and breathing patterns align. And something that really blows my mind: we are all made up of 99.9% of the same genetic material.
And it’s not only biology. There are various philosophical frameworks that appear around our globe with the same theme ... the Southern African idea of Ubuntu: I am because we are ... or the concept from eastern traditions: all people and living things mutually rely on one another for existence ... Or from the Indigenous perspective: humans are a single thread in a larger ecological and social web of life.
Speaking of indigenous, back to Tiddalik. Notice who suffers when one frog keeps all the water: the trees, the birds, the kangaroos. When one withholds, everyone feels the impact. That’s interconnection too, just the painful side of it. And in our world, policies help decide who has access to water, food, and care. We help shape those policies when we vote.
I’ve always said, the gospel is political but it is not partisan. It is rife with political commentary and is literally about the life of someone perceived by the government as a threat and therefore executed by the state; spoiler alert, I’m talking about Jesus. I may preach on political issues from time to time because our gospel values – such as caring for the least of these – have something to say about them. But you will never hear me tell you who to vote for or how to vote on issues from the pulpit. That is between you, your ballot, and God. However, I do believe that we must put our gospel values to use when perusing our ballot so we can Vote with Love. Even if and when it puts you at odds with the people you love.
Depending on where you live, you might have several items on the midterm ballot or just a few. Regardless, it is our civic duty to research and learn about the candidates and proposals included in our ballots so that we can make informed decisions. It’s easy, especially at the midterms, to feel like your vote doesn’t matter, but it does! Especially because this is when we are voting on a lot of local issues that directly impact us and our neighbors. It also matters because, did you know that since 2018, 660 elections have been won by 10 votes or fewer, including 94 elections decided by a single vote?[2] Every vote matters.
Back to Tiddalik one last time. The drought wasn’t about the drinking. It was about the keeping. And notice how it ends. Nobody argues Tiddalik into sharing. Rather, the whole community shows up, the emu dancing, the kookaburra cackling, the wombat rolling, and still he doesn’t budge. It isn’t the strong or the clever who break the drought. It’s the eel. The one nobody bet on. That’s how God usually works, isn’t it? The eel cracks the frog open and the water pours out. Like a baptism for the land restoring it to wholeness.
Election results can be disappointing. Our candidates may not win, our proposals may not get passed. But fortunately for us, God’s unity doesn’t depend on these results. We will continue working toward building up the Peaceable Realm of God on earth with our diverse neighbors. Just like the various animals in the story, we will use our gifts and talents, and expect the politicians and policy makers to use theirs, and trust that there is water enough for all of us to be nourished.
As we go to the polls on November 3, let us remember to vote like we’re all interconnected, because we are. May it be so.
Amen.
