One of the things that is true everywhere in ministry is that there are, from time to time, issues that hijack everyone's attention. Sometimes it's a local tragedy. Sometimes it's something exciting or fun, like a championship run by the local team. Right now, it's the election. So please indulge me for this post as we address what is dominating the news, as well as the conversations of our people.
For most Southern white Evangelicals, the question in this election is not really one or the other; it's one or neither. Other church leaders may have reason to address why Hillary Clinton is not fit for our vote, but that's not what we're struggling with here. It's all about Donald Trump, and it goes like this: Christians have the civic duty to vote, we can't vote for Hillary, a write-in or third-party vote is as just like not voting at all, so we must vote for Trump, regardless of his perceived flaws. You've heard this line of reasoning rolled out in various forms for months now, and it's been effective. Many Christians who initially found Trump to be repugnant are now fervently on his side. Trump/Pence yard signs are popping up everywhere around town.
I accept only one premise in that argument: for her radically pro-abortion stance, her general hostility toward biblically conservative Christians, and a host of other reasons, I cannot recommend that anyone vote for Hillary Clinton. But I want to examine the question of what a Christian's civic duty really is in regard to voting, and I'd like us to center our thoughts on five guidelines for our political engagement:
1 - Pay attention
Not everyone has the time or the interest to research and craft a fully formed opinion on every issue, but in our form of government, we the people are given a measure of power in governing, That means that we all have the responsibility to pay attention and have some idea of what is going on. That means it's not OK check out and decide you don't care about political things, nor is it good to get all your news from Facebook memes, highly partisan websites and radio shows, and the late night comedy circuit. We as Christians owe it to our fellow citizens to read issues from two sides and not swallow wholesale the party line that is being fed to us. An informed and principled decision to abstain fulfills your civic duty more than an uninformed vote or one based on half-truths spit out by biased sources.
(One resource I recommend is to use is ISideWith.com, which asks you your position on various issues and gives you a percentage on how often you agree with various candidates or parties.)
2 - Evaluate both candidates and issues biblically
The way American politics groups certain issues and positions into platforms obscures our ability to discern and apply biblical wisdom to different issues, and it has colored the way that Christians see politics, whether you're talking about white evangelical Republicans or African-American Christian Democrats. Just because a certain position is certified as the "Conservative" position by the right-wing pundits does not make it the biblically correct position to take. Likewise, Christians must respond to the reality of what is happening, rather than viewing that reality through a political lens. For example, whether you think Muslim refugees should be allowed into the country or not, Christians should respond with compassion and outreach to those who end up in our states and towns. And we should compassionately minister to the poor, whether or not we support the current government welfare policy.
We also must take a broader view of what an individual candidate represents. Donald Trump is not just a representative of the Republican platform; to vote for Trump is to support this particular man being in charge of our country, and to vote for Clinton is to support her as President. You can't vote against someone; our system doesn't work that way. And the person elected will act on his or her own volition as the most powerful person in the world. So we owe it to our country to evaluate not just the platform or the issues, but the individual candidate.
Recently my devotional took me to 2 Timothy 3. Verses 2-4 stood out to me: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive... unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal... rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" Trump boasts in these qualities, calling it "political incorrectness." Paul's command in verse 5 in regard to people like this? "Have nothing to do with them."
3 - Don't be ruled by fear
Every election since at least 2004 has been called the most pivotal in our nation's history, with each one topping the last in the breathless warnings of impending doom if the wrong candidate is elected. I have heard people claim that if Clinton is elected, churches will have to be approved by the federal government or be forced underground, that our time as a Christian nation will be at an official end. Some of the hyperbole is nonsense, but there is legitimate concern over what might happen if there is no change in course in our government and our culture.
So we are pressured to make a deal. Trump is no saint, they say, but David sinned, too. Cyrus of Persia was a pagan ruler that was friendly to God's people and caused them to prosper. Trump is a deal-maker and has been offering a deal to white evangelicals ever since he started running, giving respectful lip-service to those who fall in line behind him and making promises about Supreme Court justices.
But there is another Old Testament comparison that better fits the situation. During times of imminent threat from the advancing Assyrians and later Babylonians, the rulers of God's people were tempted to turn to Egypt, a power no less wicked but one that was willing to form an alliance. It seemed politically prudent, even crucial to their survival, to take Egypt's offer, but God's prophets warned them not to make that deal: "But the people of Judah will be put to shame. That’s because they are trusting in a nation that is useless to them. Egypt will not bring them any help or advantage. Instead, it will bring them shame and dishonor" (Isaiah 30:5).
Substitute Trump's name for Egypt here, and that is what Trump supporters will feel when the hysteria of the election year clears.
We must choose to trust God instead. He will take care of His people, regardless of who is President, and the kingdom of God will prevail.
Religious pundits warn us about losing our place in the discussion if we don't support the Republican nominee, but the truth is that there is no surer way to lose your voice in this country than to become a mindless voting bloc whose vote is "owned" by a particular party. And as the party that's supposed to be preserving our political power becomes increasingly deaf to our concerns, we will also lose our ability to be a prophetic voice in a culture that sees us as no more than Republican mouthpieces.
4 - Identify with the gospel
There will be some who examine all these issues and decide that the best thing to do is hold their nose and vote for the lesser of the two evils. I get that, and I can respect that decision. But that is a far different thing than being on the campaign trail on social media and other outlets for an indefensible candidate.
What is your identity on social media? What do people see that you're about? Our primary identity online, in our conversations, in our thoughts, and in our actions must be about the gospel. If one thing pops into the minds of those who know me from town, from church, from social media or wherever, I don't want it to be that I like the Royals or the Horned Frogs, and I certainly don't want it to be about my political views. I want people to think of how I love Jesus. Anything I do that detracts from that is not worth it.
This is a tough election, and I am sort of sick to my stomach thinking about how it will inevitably play out. One of these candidates will be our new President next year. We can't prevent or change that fact, no matter our vote or what political influence we can muster. But there is one thing we can do that will change things. We don't have the power to make our nation Christian, but we do have the authority to call the kingdom of God into our country. It's the only thing we can do, but it is also our most effective weapon:
5 - Pray.
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