Bear with me as I rant, because I do have a goal, as the title of this article indicates.
I enjoy politics, but I do not interject much of my interest in this area into my preaching or teaching. This article is a rare exception. I do not like either of the major party candidates. I know many people who are bending over to grab their ankles for a woodshed whipping as they say, ‘Its a choice between the better of two evils.’ I ask, ‘Why vote for evil in the first place?’ I do not intend to imply that either candidate is evil even though I jokingly said on several occasions, “I won’t vote for the Devi’s brother or the Devil’s cousin, and you can determine who is who.” I do mean to ask why anyone would vote for someone in whom they do not believe. I frankly believe both are liars; neither are friends of Christianity or Christian fundamentalism; I do not trust either candidate any farther than I could throw them. You are probably wondering at this point who will receive my vote. Let us just say that I am voting third party. I have voted Republican every election since I have enjoyed the privilege of voting, so this will be my first year voting for a third party candidate. I do not intend to make a public endorsement since I am a pastor, desiring to stay well within the boundaries of law even though I do have the freedom to personally endorse a candidate. If you really want to know who will get my vote, email me and I will tell you. I just cannot bring myself to vote Republican this year, and I will certainly not vote on the democrat ticket.
Suffice it to say that I know of no one who is genuinely excited about this year’s presidential election because neither candidate is particularly exciting. The apathy which envelopes this election teaches me something when placed next to the Word of God for comparison. As I see the prophecies regarding Christ’s coming (the Second Advent, not the rapture), I see a government which is perfect. There will be enthusiasm for our King as has never been seen previously. There will be loyalty and devotion to him no dictator could ever demand. There will be love and service for our King that is radically different from the beauracracy bloated with self-serving people who create jobs for cronies just so they can have a good salary, good healthcare benefits, and a good retirement pension. The Millennial Kingdom will be diametrically opposed to all that we know as politics.
Now, you might be thinking, ‘How does your pining for Christ’s kingdom affect the elections in November?’ Let me answer that very simply. The Bible tells us repeatedly that we as Christians are to live holy lives in anticipation of that kingdom. The elections remind me that I must pursue Christ with every fiber of my being because He alone is worthy of my attention and devotion.
What I just stated is pretty vanilla and generic. Let me bring it a rubber-meets-the-road conclusion. When I go to the voting booth, I am not just voting for a candidate; I am voting for my Saviour! My vote demonstrates my love for Christ as I reflect that love to my country. My vote means that I am committed to my country, and that I am committed to being the best citizen of this earth that I can be (for my vote directly affects geo-global politics). It means that I show my love for my fellow Americans because I care enough to vote. This is the practical outworking of my love for Christ. Which ever lever you pull or which ever dot you darken, if you are a believer, know that you are demonstrating your love for Christ and others with your vote. Loving Christ and others is the essence of worship. Voting is worship.
September 2, 2008 at 11:30 am |
I obviously wrote this article before McCain picked his veep. I do think it is interesting that minds have been suddenly and radically changed because of McCain’s pick, but that is a political commentary that I will not make. The point of this article was simply that voting is an expression of our worship as we show our love for Christ by caring enough for my fellow citizens to vote.
November 3, 2008 at 10:50 pm |
I am officially recanting this post. I will vote for McCain, and here is why. I have many beefs against McCain, most of which conservatives would readily admit. Perhaps the most glaring are the McCain-Feingold bill which essentially gutted the 1st Amendment (if it didn’t, it was the swinging of the butcher’s knife) and his stand on the illegal immigrant amnesty bill of a year or two ago. Being a preacher, I value greatly my right to speak freely, so I view McCain’s assault on the 1st Amendment is unconscionable.
On the eve of the election, I sat wondering why I should vote for McCain. I Googled the question, “Why should I vote for McCain?” I read an article which I will reference in a moment which changed my mind. I was not an undecided voter; I fully intended to vote the Constitution Party (Chuck Baldwin), so this was not a matter of trying to make up my mind.
I still believe Chuck stands for the right things, but I also realize that standing for the right things is simply not enough. You can stand for the right things but never accomplish anything significant. I think McCain at least understands the mindset of conservatives, even if he ignores them. I know that McCain can reach across the aisle (unfortunately and often at the expense of what is right) to create significant impact.
Perhaps the most convincing arguments were made in a TownHall.com article written in February of this year. (http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnHawkins/2008/02/01/why_youre_going_to_vote_for_john_mccain_in_november_and_like_it!?page=2)
The author addresses the significant turn-over of Supreme Court judges that will occur in the foreseeable future, addressing how the change will the issue of abortion specifically. The author writes, “May God forgive us if we condemn a million plus children a year to death by abortion because we’re angry at John McCain.” Being one of many who are angry at McCain, this sentence hit home. The writer also says in essence that McCain’s tenure would only be four years. I can live with that in comparison to the decades of damage that Obama would stimulate.
I will vote for McCain tomorrow, but I feel like I am being spanked as I circle that computer-readable dot.
As for my friends who think I was off the reservation for considering a third party candidate, I remind you that Lincoln was a third party candidate. I also reject the notion that because we do not think identically that my vote means less that someone else’s. That is the very fear I have with Obama. If my vote is a throw-away vote, then EVERY vote is a throw-away vote. I also say that the Republican party left me; I did not leave them.