Geoff LaLone
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth”
Psalm 121:1-2
Over the past several months leading up to yesterday’s elections, the word “control” seemed to dominate discussions around the topic. To be more specific, the question of which political party would gain control of the House, and which would gain control of the Senate. How that question would be answered at the polls caused a great deal of anxiety among people, perhaps more so at these mid-term elections than most. The political climate in our country, for all kinds of reasons, has created a passionate electorate with pockets of extremism on both sides. How should Christians approach something so divisive?
I don’t think Christians should remove themselves from the political process. Taking elections seriously is our civic duty, and our freedom to participate is something we should not take for granted. As a large voting block in this country we should seize the opportunity to influence those in power. Neither do I think Christians must share the same political views. Contrary to the message coming from many pulpits, God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. To suggest that a faithful Christian must support one party or the other is not biblical.
All Christians, however, should keep this election, and all elections, in their proper perspective. Our passion toward politics must fall short of believing that a certain political party or candidate can be our salvation. We must never lose sight of what the psalmist reminded us of in the verses above, our help comes from God; therefore God is the one in whom we place our hope. As far as control is concerned, we must never forget that God is ultimately in control of this world and its future. We should not be overly anxious about who controls the House and Senate when we serve the God who created them both and allows them to exist at his pleasure.
Anyone who attends our church regularly knows that we are not entirely red or blue. This was clearly evidenced this past Saturday when a few of us gathered for an informal workday to spread mulch in the flowerbeds. With the election only a few days away it only made sense that it would become a topic of conversation. It did, and at times the conversation was heated. But it was brought to a peaceful end when one individual approached another, put his arm around him and said something along the lines of, “We’re going to have to agree to disagree, but I still love you.”
