What Next?

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:15-17. As I was reading the word this morning I was looking again at 1 Peter because that was one of the reference verses for what we are doing in Sunday School. But I noticed these verses I copied above and they speak to me this morning as I contemplate what to do next. Having lost the election by a lot, I felt humiliated, because I really thought God laid this on my heart and I would win. But I lost. In talking with angry citizens, that really wanted me to win, I thought perhaps I can do something out of office that I couldn't do in office. I am praying about this. I don't want to come in a spirit of revenge but in gentleness and keeping a clear conscience before God.  And the next words : so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. The incumbent in talking to people used the fact that I am not from Verona and was born in South Dakota against me. Not necessarily slander but was using it in a negative way. My Bible tells me we are to use just weights and measures. An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment. A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness. Proverbs 16:10-12 What this citizen was so angry about, he spend $40,000 fixing up his place to make it presentable, he has businesses on the main drag in Verona. The code enforcement officer came to him, threatening to shut him down. He pulled the code enforcement officer outside his front door and pointed across the street to a property owned by the Alderman I ran against and side don't come back until you do something about his property. It is a rundown house with people living in it without electricity. It is about fairness, using the same measures for everyone including those sitting on the city Alder Board. My thought was perhaps I can still be effective by holding the Alder Board feet to the fire to show fairness by cleaning up their own stuff before they address the rest of the community.  I haven't worked out all the details about what to do and how to go about it. Perhaps a coalition of citizens especially the good men that saw the problem at city hall and ran and lost.  I wasn't the only one. All the incumbents won. I had the worst loss of all the challengers. 16% is all I got. I do not want to come at this in a spirit of revenge but in a spirit of fairness. As a Christian, I do not want to be evil spoken of. Where do I go from here? My first thought was to never attend a meeting again, but that angry citizen put a fire under me. I pray for God's help.  God bless, LVZ.