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My friends from around the world have been very interested in this election. Many of them went to see the movie Fahrenheit 9-11. Most of them believed it was a documentary and so had their attitudes shaped by both it and the media in their countries. On Monday night I sent them this short message: "It will be our first election as new citizens. We shall cast a vote against infanticide, for Biblical marriage, against vacillation, for smaller government, against socialism, for faith based charities, against unfair taxation, for educational (voucher) choice for parents, against the marriage penalty tax, for steadfast opposition to world terrorism, for unrelenting support of the US military, for resoluteness on principles and for allowing younger workers to invest some of their social sec. in a private account. We won't be in there very long because there's no confusion in our minds who stands for these values." A university professor replied to this. He remarked that the person who can represent all those requirements has not yet been born. I agree. There were no perfect parties in the running and for that matter there were no perfect voters at the polls either. By now you are either relieved, elated, dejected or baffled by the election results. Some of you face 4 years of being led by people whose beliefs are very opposite to your own. These are the realities of choosing to dwell in a republic that has embraced democracy as one of its values. Never confuse simply living in America with being American. You either believe in the way this country’s political system works enough to accept or work within it to bring about change or you are just a leach trying to grab whatever benefits out of the land that you can. There is a Christian response to the election results. I think it’s the same response no matter who won. We are called upon to pray for those in power that the result of their leadership will bring about peace, will punish evildoers, will administer taxation justly and will commend the people who do right. Here’s a word from the disciple Peter: "Show proper respect for everyone…..fear God, honor the king." These words were written at the time of the Roman empire. Not every policy instituted by Caesar was approved by those early Christians. Sometimes they were branded as rebels because they wouldn't call Caesar God, as required by some Roman practices. Nevertheless Peter wrote to ask that the believers live in such a way as to: "do good to silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." The success of a politician doesn't take away your free speech privileges. Write to them. Write to the newspapers. Keep the debate going on the things that matter. Those responses are important, but before you do any of that take this day to revisit your own core beliefs. Hold them up to the light of the Bible. Do you know why you embrace that opinion? When you've weighed the moral implications of the issue that stirs your passion you will either be willing to listen to an opposing view or you will be twice the campaigner you were before. Apathy is the most dire foe of any great nation. Let that not be said of you. Even if you are pleased that your candidate won, let this not be the end for you. So many make big promises and go to Washington only to do nothing or worse. Hold them accountable. Stay interested in seeing moral government prosper. |