Go Vote
I Was Thinking…
Voting is a holy privilege. As a clergy person in basically white Caucasian congregations for over 45 years, I have never encouraged anyone to vote a particular way or for a particular candidate(s). But I have always encouraged the people of the congregations I served to go to their respective polls and vote. This is a gift and, I believe, an important piece of our Christian responsibility. It is part and partial of adhering to Jesus’ instruction to the Pharisees in Mark’s gospel when he perceived they were seeking to entrap him with the question about paying taxes or not, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. His reply left them overcome with wonder.” (12:17, CEB) The King James Version of scripture uses the wording “Render unto Caesar…”. Voting is an important ‘rendering’ that is our responsibility.
Sharon and I voted early last week. We had on our Peach shaded stickers which stated, “I Secured My Vote Today”. With pride we always vote and wear our voting stickers. As we were eating dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant following our voting, a couple walked by our booth and stated, “We see you voted today. We pulled up a sample ballot yesterday and, honestly, we didn’t see any candidate that we felt was worth our vote.” Sharon simply said, “But you must go and do your duty”. They laughed and moved on. I continued to eat my Burrito.
It is interesting, isn’t it, the rationalizations we human characters can surmise to be truth. “No one worth voting for, so I won’t vote.” Or I heard this one, “I know there is corruption in our present administration, but I believe there is corruption in all administrations, so that is not how I decide my votes.” Or “It’s always the previous administration’s fault for what the struggles presently being experienced.” Or “Since Reagan, the character and moral fiber of the President’s office have been slowly deteriorating, so stop blaming this President.” “I don’t’ vote for people, I vote for platform”. And the list of rationalizations about this and that continue to be offered from various perspectives and various news outlets. All of which seem bent toward one purpose…to rationalize the speakers paradigm of thought.
One thing I hope we can agree upon is that we do have a character and moral problem at many levels of leadership. And, at least for me, this is a “straw that breaks the camel’s back” …if someone is lacking in character and moral fiber, they do not need to be in a position of leadership. To excuse lack of empathy and lack of moral fiber in leadership with excuses that often sound too much like an end justifying a means, is inexcusable and borderline sinful (if not very sinful).
No one will ever be perfect, that is clear and non-divisive at its core. However, the scripture is also clear about the responsibility taken on by those who influence the lives of others. “My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers (leaders of influence), because we know that we teachers/leaders will be judged more strictly. We all make mistakes often, but those who don’t make mistakes with their words have reached full maturity. Like a bridled horse, they can control themselves entirely.” (James 3:1-2, CEB)
As the American educator and counselor, John Bradshaw once said of our country, “The problem we have in this country is we that we have adult-children raising adult-children.” If his opinion of several years ago is correct, then this must help explain the behavior of some leaders in our world today…they lack maturity of mind, body and soul.
Let’s ask some simple questions as we vote this year and every year: Who are the mature among us? Who are the ones with fruit that bear a deep character and a deep moral fiber? Who are the ones that really seek God’s will in important matters of influence? Who are the ones that bear the fruit of grace exemplified by the Jesus of the Gospels? Who are the ones?
You and I may never vote identical and that is a beautiful thing…it is an American thing, and I believe a ‘Christian’ thing. But perhaps we can agree upon one thing: God loves ALL people. If we can agree on this basic premise, then maybe, just maybe, we can agree that it is important to look and vote for people of influence at all levels of government who know God loves them and that God loves everyone else too…this seems to me to be the mature thing to do.
So, vote, my friends…pray before you go and seek God’s nudges for your voting decisions…God is very present…seek God’s insight…we may be surprised at God’s desires for us and for the entire world.
“But in their time of trouble they turned to the Lord, Israel’s God. They sought him and found him!” (2 Chronicles 15:4, CEB)
Maybe you are like the couple who stopped by our table. Maybe you are discouraged or encouraged…regardless, don’t be like me that day. Don’t just continue to eat your burrito.
Go Vote.
Always Thinking…
