Political posts are dangerous. It seems any post that even contains the words Republican and Democrat, or worse, the names Clinton and Trump, is destined to be met with a deluge of anger and recriminations. As dangerous as political conversations can be they have seldom been more difficult to avoid. The two leading candidates for president carry so much baggage it is amazing they don’t need two planes to fly to each campaign stop. Siding with either candidate gives others the right to ask, “How can you can vote for them knowing they did all of that?”
It has been a particularly challenging election cycle for devout Christians, those who seek to allow the teachings of the Bible to inform their decisions. Many Christians have over the years based their voting primarily on social, moral and religious issues, as these issues are easy to argue and support from Biblical texts. One does not need to be a Biblical scholar to be able to find scriptural support for positions regarding abortion and marriage. This clarity made voting a comfortable and simple choice for many. This election has muddied the waters. Those looking for Biblical guidance can find reasons to reject each candidate more easily than to support them.
Christians need to be reminded that the Christian Bible has existed in its current form for almost two thousand years. It is intended to be a spiritual history of the people of God and a description of God’s eternal plan for redemption through the sacrifice of His son Jesus, not an election guide. The writers of the Bible, especially those inspired to pen the New Testament, showed remarkably little interest in the political issues of the day. These men were eternally focused and believed that a person’s eternal circumstances were far more important than their temporary ones. Eternal freedom from sin was more important than any earthly right or privilege.
This focus on the eternal continues to be relevant. I have heard many believers this election cycle talk about the importance of religious freedom. Many fear that a Christian’s ability to live and act consistent with his faith is under attack. There is no arguing the reality of this threat, but we need to remember that the danger associated with living out the Christian faith was far greater 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire that it is today. Emperor Nero covered Christians with tar and set them afire to light his garden parties yet the focus of the apostle’s teachings was on the blessings associated with following God in the face of persecution, not on eliminating the threat! In his first letter, the Apostle Peter told the persecuted church that their steadfastness under persecution was powerful evidence of the genuineness of their faith. True faith endures through difficult circumstances, therefore difficult circumstances were the test that proved faith valid to a questioning world.
In the writings of Peter and the other apostles we see other perspectives that differ from many modern American Christians. Christians in the early church did not live in a free and democratic society. Many were not Roman citizens and many others were slaves. Neither of these classes had the right to vote. Even those who were citizens and had the ability to vote had no way to influence the decisions of the emperor. The focus then was not in changing government but in accepting the sovereignty of God over government. The world was to be changed not one vote at a time, but one heart at a time. The agent for societal change was God, not the individual.
American Christians seem to have lost sight of this principle. We have grown up in a nation that emphasizes the right to vote and its importance. We have been taught since childhood that we could change the world. We are continuously bombarded with ads telling us that if we just vote for this person or this ballot measure that the “problem” whatever it is, will be solved. Government, not God, has become the agent of societal change, even in the minds of those who claim the faith. In almost every political post and article I read and in every political discussion in which I participate the emphasis is on what “we” must do, on how “we” need to change things. If only “we” could regain power and influence, if only “we” could get the right people on the Supreme Court, then all will be good again.
The evidence of the last few years has proven that the apostles were right. If we want the world to change for the better the battle needs to be won in the hearts of the people not in the voting booth. Our society is changing. Political and judicial decisions and actions are not the cause of the change, they are the reflection of it. The current debate over marriage is a perfect illustration of this truth. Christian conservatives who hold out hope that a 5th conservative Supreme Court justice will change things are deceiving themselves. A recent Pew survey revealed that an overwhelming majority of young people, 71%, favor same sex marriage, and that even 27% of adults who identify as Evangelical do as well. Same sex marriage, even if overturned by the Supreme Court of the land tomorrow, has become a value of our culture that will not be denied. Any who hope that this will be changed by an election are simply deceiving themselves.
In fact, one of the few blessings of this Presidential election is the manner in which it reveals the misplaced hope of Christian voters. It is time for us to remind ourselves that true, lasting, and meaningful societal change is dependent on our ability to influence the hearts of those with whom we come in contact, not with our ability to influence the leaders in government. The choices in this presidential election are so hopelessly flawed, dishonest and corrupt it is hard for anyone of conscience to stand with either candidate. The best arguments tend to be those made about standing against the other side. People of strong faith and conviction are faced with the choice of siding with someone who has defied a number of Christian values or not voting at all.
I have decided that my decision comes down to the value of my vote. I believe that my vote, like every action I take, is an extension of myself, an expression of my values and beliefs. If there are no candidates who reflect these values in any way, then there are no candidates to vote for. I will vote for neither of them.
This is not a usurpation of a societal obligation or an abdication of responsibility. It is an acknowledgement that the power to change society is dependent more on my character than it is on my vote. If I compromise my character I lose that power. I choose to live my life as a Christian more concerned with the eternal state of people’s souls than with the current state of American government. I will continue to vote for candidates who are worthy of my vote but I will put my hope in no man or woman.
To my Christian brothers and sisters who feel that the future of America rides on the results of this election I offer this reminder. Two thousand years ago the Church had no voice in the Roman government, yet the church endured and the Roman Empire did not. The church endured and the message it spread changed the world. God did not need politicians to accomplish His purposes then and He does not need them now. Let us focus on Him.
- Bart
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