I have a pastoral word for us:
That word is Vote—as believers we are called not to be of the world but we are to be in it. To be in it means we live in relationships, care for others, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, care for the environment, make and appreciate beauty, participate in the production of goods and services, make homes, and much more including being responsible citizens. That means when there is an election, we educate ourselves, engage in civil discourse and we vote.
But we vote not first as citizens of the United States but, as we see in Paul’s letter to Philippians, and as Kaeli reminded us, we live as citizens of Heaven. We are not of this world—in other words our vote/our choices are not based on dominant culture values or even what your parents, friends or you have always done. Nor are our choices made for personal gain and especially not out of fear.
Our political choices are to be made the same as all our other choices are to be made: in response to the Living God revealed in Jesus Christ who was crucified and rose again—for us –for all of humanity. We vote as disciples of the One—who calls us to seek the good of the community, to bring good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free, to partner with the Spirit so that it may be on earth as it is in heaven.
To be “not of the world” is to live realizing that salvation doesn’t mean you are going to heaven “full stop” but because you are going to heaven, you live with a freedom to love your neighbor, consider one another better than ourselves, and seek justice even if it costs us personally.
We do not base our vote on one or two issues because our vote supports or ignores many issues. We need to think widely. For sure there are watershed issues and these need to weighed heavier but not in a vacuum. Some issues can become like idols that conveniently obscure other issues of great importance as well—or they can be issues that government is not well suited to deal with and cause us to diminish the ones that government can help.
Healthy churches do not have pastors who tell the congregation how to vote in terms of who and what. The “how” we do speak is the process. How do we vote? Consider Jesus. What is his character? What is his mission? Who does Jesus champion? What idols does he expose among the religious? Jesus promises to be with you always—what freedom does that give you for others?
I have one more word I want to mention: fear. As record gun sales, outbursts of violence, and attacks reveal, there is a good deal of fear rising in our polarized nation. And that is not likely to go away regardless of who is elected president. I am not a sociologist nor a psychiatrist, I don’t even play one on TV, but I am fairly confident that most fear is rooted in loss. We are afraid we will lose power, position, money, freedom, comfort, our life or the lives of loved ones. As followers of Christ we are not immune to fear but we are equipped by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and promises of God’s Word, not to give into it. Unless Jesus comes back real soon, there is going to be a November 4th and addictions to outrage and diminishing the value and rights of others will continue out of fear. Our families, our neighbors, and our country needs us to not be afraid, even if, especially if, this election brings unrest. You know the One who brings peace that surpasses all understanding. That means we can listen to the fear around us and not play into it but absorb it and dispose of it on the cross. We can be people of empathy seeing how people who differ from us feel the way they do. We can be salt and light by our presence that trusts in a Living God and loves our neighbor and speaks words of truth, grace and hope.
So our pastoral word to you: consider Christ, fear not, pray, love your neighbor and vote.