Vote As If

I believe very strongly that this year's election is for more about the future direction of the American church than which set of professional politicians command the White House and Congress for the next term. To be sure, this election will have long-term consequences for our nation no matter who is elected, and I feel rather sorry for whoever it will be, because they will inherit a bitter mess. But as I study Scripture, there is a constant message that God is in total control of the fate of leaders and nations, and that it is the constant job of His people to especially put their trust in Him during these times. Now is the time to trust God particularly, rather than to fret or to put nationalism higher than God until November 8.

I think of books like Isaiah, which we are currently studying, and Daniel, which we studied earlier this year. In both cases, God's people were subject to leaders far worse than any we currently have on the ballot. Yet, these leaders were put in place by God on purpose because He was doing something greater than merely putting in place the best "church-going politician" for a term.

Likewise, I believe God has allowed us to come to this point, to this choice, for a purpose that is more about the Church than for what goes on inside the Beltway. Perhaps He did so in order to correct something wrong with the Church. We may speculate that He's punishing our nation for something, but what if He's shaking up the Church instead?

If I'm right in this theory, God is (as He has so often done in the past) moving national events in order to position the future of His people, for blessing or for discipline (and more likely, for both). I'm not saying that Isaiah and Daniel are prophecies about 21st Century United States. Rather, I don't believe God stopped moving leaders and nations in order to accomplish His goals for His people, so His ways revealed then still help us navigate events now.

In those cases, God persistently commanded His people to trust Him, to not trust in the flesh or in leaders or in armies, and to not fear, even if the situation got much, much worse. He has a plan that He's carrying out according to His sovereign will, so above all, remain faithful. Don't give into fear, sin, or pragmatism. Worry about faithfulness above all and then trust God to accomplish His plan.

This election cycle has exposed some very unhealthy relationships between the Church and the State, such as a misplaced reliance on government to be the lord and savior of our nation on the one hand, and a misguided demonization of all those within the government on the other. It has exposed an ugly underbelly of the  "ungracious religious" who discard Christlike behavior in order to promote their politics (which Left or Right, they claim is God's favorite brand of politics). It has also exposed how many in the Church choose which of a candidate's sins to highlight and which ones to ignore based only on their party preference. Great hypocrisies of the Church have been laid bare, and I, for one, am glad the disease has finally been brought to light. Only then can the Church be healed of it.

We have too long embraced Constantinianism, which seeks to force the affairs of the State by the power of the Church (which is not the same thing as redemptive influence). We have also bought into an unhealthy dualism that separates the sacred from the secular, allowing us to discard one in order to concentrate on the other, and then on the next day, switch. Oddly, these twin problems seem contradictory (too much integration vs. not enough integration), but they are actually the same failing to understand what a healthy integration looks like.

But books like Isaiah and Daniel insist that we trust God even more fervently during days such as these, because God is in total control. If that's actually true, then there is no need to compromise, cut corners, fudge, or be confused about how we should hold both the Church and the State in our hands.

So vote "as if." Vote (or not vote) as if we actually do trust that God is in total control. That doesn't mean to vote for whoever is the "most Christian" (good luck figuring that one out). It doesn't mean to vote for whoever is from the "correct party" (God isn't a card-carrying member of any of them). Nor does it mean to throw up your hands and say, "whatever - God will sort it out."

Rather, it means to carefully consider your vote as if God is in fact in total control. Like Isaiah and Daniel, trusting His complete sovereignty allows you to stand before Jesus and say, "I didn't have to compromise Your values in order to be 'pragmatic'." Don't vote your conscience - vote His, as best you can. Of course every vote will be for someone who is not Jesus, someone who is broken, fallen, imperfect, sinful, and holding some policies that are abhorrent to Him. Of course! But He's got this - He's the One who put Nebuchadnezzar in power over the Israelites! We don't have the luxury of a clearly moral and wise candidate this time around (or almost every other time around, to be honest). There's no need to pretend that we do.

God has given us this situation on purpose, and He expects His children to honor Him with how they trust Him in the midst of it. Vote as if God is always intentional in everything, including allowing our nation to come to this point, perhaps even for the purpose of correcting the Church. Vote (or not vote) so that you can tell Jesus you didn't compromise, even though there were no options except disappointing ones. He's not only faced this situation before, He's manufactured them before.

And please, back off of those who vote for the same reasons for a different candidate. This is no easy choice, and God is still sovereign. Lastly, don't be fatigued by all this - rather, seize the opportunity God has given us to trust Him in the midst of political disarray. If we can't trust Him now, we can't trust Him ever.

Your Voters' Guide

But not your normal voters' guide. I dare not.

Never before have I seen people in such inner turmoil about how to vote in the presidential election coming up in November. Without comment on any of the candidates, issues, concerns, or parties, it's safe to say that many are finding this the hardest voting decision they've had to make. Twin declarations of #NeverThisOne and #NeverThatOne in a two-party race cannot be reconciled. Then, some want to vote third party, but others protest that this is effectively voting for the major party candidate you are least like.

Some have the their minds made up and have no internal struggle. The data shows, however, that we have the greatest national dissatisfaction ever with this field of candidates.

I will not, however, give any advice on how to choose, except for these two often-overlooked attributes: wisdom and leadership style. These are biblical attributes of leaders in the Bible which we often ignore in favor of morals and policy (which are also valid voting issues). I urge you to consider wisdom and leadership style as foundational to how one will perform in office.

My voters' guide is not primarily about how to pick your candidate. My concern this year is greater. Not only have I never seen such internal struggle within people - neither have I seen such internal struggle within the Church. Because it so hard to decide, and there is so much at stake, the church is infighting like I've never seen before. Likely, there has been worse in our history, but not in my recollection.

Followers of Christ telling other followers of Christ, "How can you be a follower of Christ and vote for so-and-so?" The exact same phrase and attitude flying both left and right (and every other direction). Anger, damaged relationships, cold shoulders, questioning one's commitment to Jesus. This year's election runs the danger of creating new and deep schisms within the body of Christ.

I see a greater danger here than the "wrong person" getting elected. An irreparably damaged Church is far worse.

Let us disagree. That's fine. If you're struggling to support someone, and I'm struggling to support someone, shouldn't we expect us to have struggles between us? It is possible that there is no candidate that we can heartily endorse without major concerns, so let's not pretend like there is a single, cleanly righteous choice. You may conclude there is an obvious choice for you, but don't pretend like your candidate shouldn't give the Church grave concerns.

But please in this election season, remember that the Church has shown throughout history that we can be the Church effectively under any government and under any leader ... if we are not fighting among ourselves! But if we are fighting among ourselves, the greatest leader of the greatest government won't matter.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again

I'm partisan. I have particular political preferences. And I'm a little too eager to engage others in political discussions, both with people I agree (politically) with and with people I disagree with. These conversations are with people inside the Church (from both sides of the political aisle) as well as those outside the Church (again, from both angles). So ... full disclosure ... I'm partisan.

But, I've concluded that partisanship is not the best scale for determining my vote. I don't need to abandon my political preferences, but for years, now, I've been gravitating away from deciding my vote based on who is the most partisan for my particular views. I still vote for people even if they have strong views, but I don't regard the strength of their partisanship as the most important factor in casting my vote.

My thinking is this: In the last generation, we've watched this litmus test (who is the most partisan for my view) create a crippled Congress session after session. Why? Because we voted the most partisan people we could find - using that as our criteria. So, of course, we're going to end up with gridlock! We chose the most bull-headed, unbending people as if unbending bull-headedness was going to fix up Washington (or Topeka, or wherever).

Perhaps finding the most belligerently partisan candidate is not the best way to choose. So then, how then should I vote?

I will not tell you who you should vote for in any of the elections. But I would offer this as a general voting consideration: Which candidates (in any election) are more likely to display the kind of wisdom we find in the Bible? There is a wealth of wisdom found in the Bible that is good for everyone to follow, regardless of where they are in their faith. I would rather vote for someone who displays that kind of wisdom than for someone who makes a bunch of noise about his faith but rarely ever displays that wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 10 declares woe to the city that has a fool for a leader. Not someone who fails a political litmus test, not someone who isn't overtly religious, but someone who is a fool. The implication is that there are blessings for the city that has wise leaders.

Think of it this way: Who we want in leadership: the most partisan people we can find or the wisest people we can find? And I can't think of many people who display both qualities.

The Easiest Voters' Guide

The elections are coming up quickly, which always raises the question of what I should say. The law allows me to say some things, but not others (and generally speaking, these are guidelines that I think are pretty good). It would be inappropriate and unethical (more than just illegal) for me to use my privileged position to unduly influence the process.

I can endorse causes and principles. I can inform on particular issues. I cannot endorse particular candidates. Nor do I want to.

But I like to take a different angle on the issue of elections. (Why should I start being normal now?)

Ecclesiastes has a lot to say about wisdom and politics. In 7:19, the "Teacher" (1:1) says that "Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than ten rulers in a city." In 9:13-16, he shows how wisdom in a ruler is better than power. And in 10:16-17, he compares a land that has a foolish ruler with a land that has a wise and noble leader - the difference between "woe" and "blessed."

The blessing for the land comes through wise rulers. Biblical wisdom is the most important quality in a political leader, in my opinion. I have personal opinions about left v. right politics, but I am more interested in having a wise ruler than a ruler who shares my political views. "Wisdom," of course, in terms of God's wisdom, not worldly wisdom. When I choose between candidates, my first thought is not on which letter is in parentheses after their names on the ballot. My first thought is, "Who do I think will display more of God's wisdom?"

Instead of voting along party lines, I want to vote along wisdom lines. I believe it will fair far better for our land if our rulers are wise by God's definition.

Some of you may say, "Well, if they are really wise in God's eyes, then they will be from the XYZ political party - since that's what is wise!" I can easily point to exceptions to this rule from any party you want to pick. Whether or not one party is more or less likely to produce a biblically wise person is not my point - I simply want to consider biblical wisdom when choosing for whom to vote, and to make sure that all other factors are less important in my decision process.

I would say, however, that choosing not to vote is unwise more often than not. Please exercise this rare privilege. And imagine what would happen to our land if more and more of our leaders displayed biblical wisdom.

(Congratulations to our new American citizen, Julie, who will be able to vote for the first time!)