Election day is never an easy one, as people can be pretty passionate about “their candidate” and have animosity towards “the other candidate” and their supporters. This mentality has seemed to grow over the last several elections with social media contributing to those divisions. So what should we do?
Well, sorry to disappoint you if you thought I was going to tell you who to vote for but I am not. We have people doing that already and all it seems to do is get more and more people entrenched in their beliefs they already have. I do however want us to reflect on as Christians where our true allegiance should be and what that should mean for the days ahead.
These weeks leading up to the election I have seen numerous things that make me squirm with disgust or get red with anger when I see people trying to co-op God on their side and say, “If you really love Jesus you would vote for Biden” or shirts with the saying, “Trump is my president and Jesus is my savior”, or “I stand for the flag and kneel for Jesus” is just disgusting. My friends this is spiritual manipulation, partisan idolatry, and at times Christian Nationalism. Let me say this loud and clear: Biden, Trump, Jo Jorgensen, or any other candidate is not our savior. So, these comments of Christians have to vote for this particular party if they are Christian is not healthy or helpful, to say the least.
Millions of people had already voted early before today, and I have heard many people say, “I can’t wait just to get past November 3rd.” As if, all of our divisions and strife will disappear on November 4th. I have also seen well-meaning Christians say, “No matter who wins God is in control” or “God is sovereign no matter who is in the oval office.” While I wholeheartedly agree that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not but this doesn’t negate that the leader of our nation can install laws and legislation that can hurt people. I have seen well-meaning signs asking people not to gloat if your candidate wins (which is good advice) and do not despair if your candidate loses. While I would say we don’t need to despair, I also think we need to allow people the space to grieve because this election could have a very real impact on people’s lives. For myself, being a White Heterosexual Male who is in the middle class financially, I have a lot of luxuries that others do not. I could probably not vote with not too much fear of who was in political offices, but others do not have this luxury. Because of this, I will not tell people how they should feel after this election.
Back to this idea, “I can’t wait to get past November 3rd.” I believe when we get past the 3rd our pursuit continues of what is said in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” My friends no matter how the election goes on November 3rd we must continually seek to do justice and remember that Jesus continually sought out the broken and forgotten. We have to have eyes wide open to those who are being neglected or taken advantage of so that we can move into action. We must seek to be overflowing with faithful love for God and our neighbor and to walk humbly with God realizing each one of us has sacred worth as we have been made in the image of God.
If we believe that Jesus is Lord, then this does not enable us to just have a “ho-hum” mentality to our country, to elections, or to injustice. To believe that God is in control does not enable us to just shrug our shoulders at people crying out for help and say, “God will take care of it.” Folks, if Jesus is Lord, if is Jesus the Christ who has our allegiance then this reality does not affect just Sunday morning worship time, it impacts the entirety of our lives in the here and now. For myself as a United Methodist,it reminds me of our 3 general rules: Rule 1 Do No Harm by avoiding evil of every kind, that would hurt our lives or the lives of others. Rule 2 Do Good through the grace of God as we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison. To help people whether it be physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Rule 3 Stay in Love with God by gathering to worship God, through the receiving of communion, through private times of prayer and scripture reading, or times of fasting.
To confess “Jesus is Lord” is not just a future reality for when we die, but it is a current reality that impacts our todays. So, if you are saying “Trust God” or “Remember who is on the throne” remember this truth doesn’t stop on November 3rd, but it continues on throughout our days and beyond! So my friends, may you do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. If Jesus is Lord, then reject the forces of evil in our world, be filled with the power, peace, and love of God and may that flow out of your lives and into our world.
