I Voted...

Two Editorial Notes:

First I want to apologize for being absent from writing. Having just moved to Colorado a month ago and beginning a new ministry at the University Church of Christ has kept me busy. But I promise to be more attentive to this blog. To those who have stopped by on a regular basis, yet finding nothing new, I’m sorry, and thank you for your patience.

Second; this particular post is somewhat political, yet the primary focus is not about politics, but rather how we should be living our life in Christ in this world. I am not trying to offend anyone – I have many friends who are Democrats supporting Obama, and many who are Republicans supporting McCain. At the same time I am not trying to NOT offend anyone. There are many things in my mind that are very offensive about this election cycle.

On the eve of this presidential election, I feel compelled to put down some of my thoughts about this election – more to the point, some thoughts on what I have heard from many of my Christian friends and others who are followers of Christ regarding this election. There have been many issues raised in this election, the economy, the war, taxes, stem-cell research, health care, energy, and the list goes on. I am quick to admit that I have very little clue as to what the right course of action the government should take on these issues. And whatever you believe about these issues, the truth is that for most of them it is a matter of judgment, not right vs. wrong in a ‘transcendent’ sense.

Yet there have been other issues beyond these. One of the big issues that has come to light in this election has been the role, or better stated, the nature of the press. What energy has been spent discussing and arguing over the bias in the press. Whether it’s the NY Times, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, FOX News, Rush Limbaugh, or Sean Hannity, we have a real trust issue on our hands. (In fairness to Conservative Talk Radio, they at least admit up front they are fully behind a Conservative/Republican point of view, as opposed to the traditional press who still want us to believe they are just reporting the news. And I’m not suggesting that Talk Radio is any more accurate, but at least you know what you’re getting.) But what does that mean for the public when ‘news’ becomes propaganda? What does it do to us? One thing it has done is to exacerbate the divide between us by fueling animosity to the point we can’t talk about the issues, because we don’t trust or like ‘your’ source; “You’re just a ditto head” or “You’re just a drone of the drive-by media.”

Related to that, this campaign has been the nastiest since… well, since the last one. But I do believe it is getting worse. And it is frustrating, as one new friend opined that he wished “that republicans would talk about issues and not just attack Obama.” My reply was that “in a Presidential election, often the candidate IS the issue.” I meant that for both Obama and McCain. What kind of men they are is the issue. Their track record, their history is the basis for trusting their promises for the future and their ability to deliver. But we often don’t want to know the men beyond the rhetoric. And because we are getting propaganda instead of clear facts about the men and the issues, it naturally denigrates to the nasty attacks, none of which need to be rehearsed here.

And that brings me to the more depressing issues of this election; we the people. This election in a unique way, I believe is going to say more about us as Americans, than it will about either Barak Obama or John McCain. We the People are the issue as well. We are already ‘post-modern’ and ‘post-Christian’ as a nation. But I believe we are quickly becoming ‘post-American.’ I don’t mean that in the sense that some have interpreted Sara Palin’s remarks about ‘real America.’ I mean it in the sense that we are rapidly moving to the point that there is no more ‘We the People’, but rather just a fragmented tribalism barely able to stand one another, and therefore cannot stand together for anything. And it matters not who wins tomorrow, I believe America has already lost too much of what once was good.

And now the main point for those of us who desire to be followers of Christ: AND SO WHAT? The issue for Christians is never the ‘issues’, it isn’t the media, it’s not the candidates, nor is it the people. The issue is not even America. The real issue for Christians is following the risen Christ. Too many of us who call ourselves Christians have fallen deeply into “Ahithophel Thinking” when it comes to politics. You may be right about Abortion or Same-Sex Marriage on one side. You may be right about the War and health care for everyone on another side. But like Ahithophel we have been wrong on the side that matters: if we believe that our security and future lie in what the Government does or doesn’t do. We are to be faithful to God, while living as aliens in a fallen world. And So What, if America falls into socialism, it’s no less fallen than when we were at the height of Capitalism (you do know neither is a sanctified economic system?). America is a fallen country my friends and it was so even before the ink was dry on the Constitution.

You and I as Christians (whether Democrats or Republicans) need to remember on Wednesday morning: our side didn’t win anything of real value, so we shouldn’t gloat or fret, but wake up with the same confidence we had this morning – Christ still wears the victor's crown, still sits at the right hand of the throne of heaven. He is the only one who can bring change into this world. He is the only one who has truly suffered for us. He is the only one that can give us real security.

We are Christians, and that’s the only issue that counts.