"What a long ride it has been been to this day! After what has seemed like an eternity of campaign ads and and endless stream of lawn signs, it is easy to lose perspective and become cynical, or just plain tired.
In the hype of this election day, it
is easy for us to become disoriented--to lose sight of what is truly
weighty. I offer the following words to help us keep our eyes fixed on
that which is ultimately important, and so give us the much needed
gospel ballast for engaging one another, even on the matters pertinent
to our democratic republic.
The first thing that we must remember is that the most important election is not the choice we make today. Human rulers come and go. Rather the most important election is the choice that God has made to call us to Himself in Christ. In Scripture we are called 'chosen
of God, holy and beloved' (Colossians 3:12). This means that for us as
Christians we are in a unique position for being a blessing to our
friends and neighbors, if indeed we are drawing on the resources
inherent in the gospel. The gospel is that God reached out to us in
grace. And so, we are able to do the same.
While
fulfilling our duties as citizens of this world, of which voting is
certainly one of them, we need not fall prey to the temptation of
looking to politics as a place of salvation (i.e., a place in which we
find our ultimate hope, our ultimate/eternal significance and security).
Every election cycle I see this tendency expressing itself on the right
and on the left. 'If we can only get our guy in the White House, then
all will be well.' But as Jesus said to one of the most powerful
politicians of His time, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom
were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might
not be delivered up..., but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm'
(John 18:36).
This, of course, is not a
license for us to neglect our responsibilities as members of the kingdom
of this world. Rather, it actually allows us to engage the realm of
human politics in a totally different way---in a much more helpful and
redemptive manner. It keeps us from having to look to the realm of
politics with a sense of desperation. For the Christian there is never
any need for desperation. (Besides, desperate people tend to do dumb and
often dangerous things.) Rather, the gospel, as it shapes our view of
politics, liberates us so that we can hold our grip on the voting lever
loosely, as opposed to idolatrously. As Christians at the end of the day
we are called to represent a kingdom not of this world, with resources
not of this world. And so we have infinite resources, with no need to
fear or act foolishly. We are free to sacrifice, in very practical ways,
our personal peace and affluence for the common good (even eternal
good) of our friends and neighbors. In this way, the kingdom of God
grows just as well under Solomon as it does under Caesar.
This bring us to our duty of prayer.
The
Gospel of John records for us Jesus' words to his disciples: 'You did
not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and
bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of
the Father in My name, He may give to you.' As is evident even from this
verse, in the broader context Jesus is talking about prayer and its
central role in our responsibility in this world. In another place He
says, 'If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you
wish and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples' (John 15:7-8). God has elected you to bring blessing to this world by your faithful perseverance in prayer."
