“I thought you weren’t going to talk about politics anymore?!”
Yes…I did say that. This is only really connected to politics though due to its proximity to the 2016 US Presidential election tomorrow.
It will be an interesting day in America on Tuesday November 8th…one that a large portion of the world will also watch with baited breath at levels unheard of in previous election years. I think that we often forget just how much the current state of affairs in the US affect the rest of the world. As much as we have isolationist and nationalist factions in this country we are now firmly entwined with the rest of the countries and nations that make up this amazing planet Earth and that should not be scary…or something that we seek to undo.
Still, that’s a topic for another time. I actually want to speak about something fairly specific in relation to this election cycle. There has been a massive amount of fear propagated through various channels and mediums on all sides of the issues and it can be completely overwhelming and immobilizing.
I am often amazed at the level of discord and anxiety being directed at us from everywhere and it’s a wonder that any of us manage to make it through our days without being dependent on some form of antidepressant or by self-medicating through drugs and alcohol…also topics for another time. I want to just scream at it all sometimes….but then a thought occurs to me. I believe that God is fundamentally good in all things and is at work in this world He created. I believe that He is still on His throne and is still King over all. I believe that He has not called us to live under a spirit of fear but of compassion and love and that He wants us to be His light to the dark places in this world. I believe Jesus Christ is the One and only son of the God Jehovah and my true King and savior; that He died for me and for all of us to provide a path to redemption and everlasting life.
Because I believe these things, I have a question for my fellow Christian brothers and sisters: Why are we not acting like this is the case? Why are we wasting our time engaging in the doom and gloom? Why are we getting entangled in all of the political manipulations and fear mongering? Why are we buying in to all of this heightened anxiety that something bad is going to happen if Candidate A or Candidate B gets elected? Why??
Look, if we believe that God is firmly in control and that He has a good plan for this world then we need to start acting like it. We need to turn off the hype machine naysayer noise and we need to start turning people on to the message of hope we say that we have. How can we possibly be salt and light to a population that desperately needs the good news and hope that we have if we’re stuck in some depressing B-movie where the world is ending because “bad person alpha” is now President? And being resigned to the notion that “well this is just how it has to be, it’s all going to end anyway because it’s the end of days” – that’s helpful in presenting the gospel as a message of hope to the world? Eschatology aside (definitely a topic for another time…) I don’t think the intention has ever been supposed to be that we hunker down in our holes and we hide because the world is too scary….and honestly that’s just what the enemy wants. If he can’t beat you down then he wants to distract you or isolate you to keep you ineffective….and sadly it sure seems like it’s working during this election season.
I don’t want to fight about this with anyone. I’m quite tired of dealing with all of the nonsense that has plagued this entire election. It doesn’t matter really what my thoughts are on the candidates (though you can read that if you’d like in my last post) or what the outcome is of the ballots cast tomorrow.
Regardless of who is elected, Jesus is still Lord and God is still on His throne. We have the greatest news of hope that can be offered to anyone and now is the time to act like it. The world needs to see the light…it needs to know just how Much God loves each and every one of them. For that to happen, it needs you and me to shine like never before.