Come November 5. . .

At this point in election season, I typically grow tired of it all. The incessant ads begin to annoy me, the minute-by-minute polls wear me out, and the constant “expert” analysis on TV and radio becomes nothing more than white noise. It’s not that I don’t care, or don’t want to be involved in the process – I just have a limited attention span and want to get on with it, already. And to be honest, I think another reason I grow weary at the end is the message of fear and pessimism that becomes so increasingly common at this stage. Both sides try to make the case that we cannot let the other side win, because if they do, all will be lost and the world, as we know it, will end.

What’s both interesting and troubling to me is how Christians and Christian organizations allow themselves to become driven by fear and begin to rely on the same fear-based message. A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a well-known organization stating that if certain individuals win this election:

America as we have known it will no longer exist. This country that we love, founded on Judeo-Christian values, will cease to exist and will be replaced by a secular state hostile to Christianity. This “city set on a hill” which our forefathers founded, will go dark. The damage will be deep and long lasting. It cannot be turned around in the next election, or the one after that, or by any election in the future. The damage will be permanent.

Yikes - that’s some bleak and scary stuff. In my reaction to that statement and its view of faith and politics, I in no way want to seem judgmental, demeaning, or dismissive toward those who share these sentiments. I do not question their heart, their faith, their motives, or their integrity. I also have no intention of making a political statement, endorsement, or prediction of any kind. My concern is with the approach and the perceived attitude conveyed by statements such as this. Personally, I struggle with the followers of Jesus resorting to fear and casting a shadow of hopelessness. With all respect, I choose not to follow in that path, and here are my reasons:

• The true "city set on a hill" is not equivalent to or dependent upon any earthly nation or government. The Body of Christ is called to be the "city set on a hill," and that city will not "go dark" because of any election on this earth. Come November 5, regardless of who has won and who has lost, the followers of Jesus will still be here, and they will continue to love and serve as light in the darkness. Throughout the history of the Church, no ruler or government has ever been able to stop the movement of God's Kingdom, and they never will.


• The true hope for our world is not found in governments, courts, or legislation, but the transforming love and grace of God. The systems of this world do not have the power to change hearts, restore lives, and heal families. Our God is the One who gives life, restores the broken, heals the hurting, and makes all things new. Come November 5, regardless of who has won and who has lost, our God will still be living, present, and active in our world. On that day, and for all days to come, He will continue to carry out His gracious work of redemption in and through people like us.


• The true call placed on our lives is to pick up the cross and follow Jesus for the sake of His Kingdom. To be motivated by the fear of a "secular state hostile to Christianity" suggests a self-concern that misses the mark of our call. It implies that our concern and efforts are aimed at our own comfort and security within society; it hints at the possibility that we cannot bear the thought of living from the margins of society rather than the comfortable mainstream. Jesus did not call us to fight for a comfortable position in the culture, the avoidance of personal insult and persecution, or the backing of the government; He called us to lay down our lives, to know that we are blessed when we face rejection and persecution for His sake, and to trust that there is an all-surpassing power from God at work in these jars of clay. Come November 5, regardless of who has won and who has lost, our call will remain the same, and the power of God's Spirit will continue to uphold and enable those who are willing to follow. The purposes of His Kingdom will always be accomplished by the way of the cross, the path of love and sacrifice, and not by the power or means of earthly nations.

While I recognize the significance of these decisions, and I realize our need for prayerful involvement, I have also come to believe that God's Kingdom must not be equated with the political business of this world. I will earnestly pray and vote my conscience, and I trust you will do the same. But through it all, may we remember that God's position and purpose are not dependent on the elections of any earthly nation, including ours. Despite the rhetoric that seems to suggest otherwise, He is not on the ballot - He will still be God come November 5.