Vote for Faith, for Dignity, for Love

Once when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?” The man replied, “Neither; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” - Joshua 5:13-14

 

Here goes the pastor, being too political again. Here’s the thing, as I see it, politics is just the word we’ve chosen to talk about how we conduct our relationships within the governments we all share. And how we conduct our relationships, whether at work or at home or in the government, is what God is all about. God repaired our relationship to him so that we can be a part of repairing broken relationships in the world.

I don’t think anyone will argue that the relationships in our political system are broken. The question is, what do we, as Christians, do about it? First and foremost, we pray. We can join in the political process, calling our representatives, participating in public meetings. We can peacefully protest. And we can vote. 

Voting is a statement within the political realm that declares all people have an equal voice, all people have an opinion that matters, and all people deserve respect and dignity. It is also a statement of solidarity with one another. As our Bishop Jonathan Holston writes, “Voting is more than simply saying what we believe. It is a sharing of faith, a tangible witness of love of God and love of neighbor. Voting is a way to acknowledge that we are one community, all in this together.”

If we are all in this together, then what side is God on? Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries? Neither, says the Lord. God fought for Joshua and the Jews at Jericho, but he was never on their “side,” as they would learn generations later when they denied justice and peace and suffered his wrath. God is not on human-created sides; God is on the side of justice, righteousness, peace, and love.

So, get out and vote, not because God is on your side, but because you want to be a part of healing the relationships that God so desires in our community, nation, and world.