Preparing for the Election
Our next election is mere days away. The USA is suffering from deep division, TV and social media are full of tense emotions, suspicions run very deep, and fear is driving the narratives in many people’s hearts and minds.
The Church is caught up right in the middle of everything.
I’m not sure where you personally stand. Maybe you feel strongly about politics, maybe you’re somewhat indifferent or even annoyed. Wherever you are, I’m writing to you today neither as a political analyst, nor as a Republican or Democrat (I’m not even eligible to vote in this country yet); I’m writing to you from my heart as your pastor who has dedicated his life to serving and preparing the “Bride” of Jesus (the Church, see Eph 5, Rev 21).
Last month, I was ordained to the priesthood. Before I took my vows, I was charged with the following instructions (an excerpt):
“I now exhort you, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be a messenger, watchman, and steward of the Lord. You are to teach, to warn, to feed, and to provide for the Lord’s family, and to seek for Christ’s sheep who are in the midst of this fallen world, that they may be saved through Christ for ever. […]
Therefore, consider the purpose of your ministry to the children of God. Work diligently, with your whole heart, to bring those in your care into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God, and to maturity in Christ, that there may be among you neither error in religion nor immorality in life. Finally, equip and lead your Congregation to proclaim tirelessly the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” (BCP 2019, p.488-489)
It is in this spirit that I’m writing to you today. I want us to be a church that is mature in Christ and united in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus. What a great time we live in to grow in these areas! When division, hatred, and discord are rising, we, the followers of Jesus, are called to shine (Phil. 2:15) and to represent a Kingdom that is unshakable (Hebrews 12:28).
However, there are two specific things that concern me as I think about the Church and the election:
1) The “yeast of Herod.”
In Mark 8:15, we read: “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” The “yeast of the Pharisees” refers to the religious, self-righteous, hypocritical spirit that constantly tries to infiltrate the Church. It attracts attention to self and puffs people up with pride.
The “yeast of Herod”, on the other hand, refers to the political spirit that tries to contaminate the Church with the fear of man and with desire for worldly power. Jesus warns us to watch out for it.
I’m calling on us today to repent of either yeast that we might have allowed in our midst.
I’m not saying don’t be active in politics. By all means, be involved, be passionate, have a vision for this country, make use of your right to vote and use it for America’s good. Use your vote boldly, carefully, and biblically. Use your vote, and pray for the Holy Spirit (and not Herod’s yeast of fear and power) to guide you.
2) The next generation.
One of our core values as a church is “Blessing the next generation.” One of the ways we can bless them is by demonstrating to them what it looks like to seek God’s agenda above our own, how to disagree amicably over secondary issues in theology (e.g., baptism) or politics (e.g., who to vote for). Young people watch us closely as to how we disagree more than about what we disagree over. Let us be good examples.
A few weeks ago, I preached about Joshua and how the angel of the Lord appeared to him the day before he conquered Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15). When Joshua asked the warrior whether he was on their or on Jericho’s side, the angel said “neither.” The angel hadn’t come to take sides, but to represent God and his ultimate purposes that are far greater than our thoughts and ideas. Joshua needed to be reminded of that. God has a purpose for this nation that is greater than who wins an election cycle. I love Joshua’s response: he fell facedown, took off his shoes, and listened for instructions from the Lord.
As we approach this election, I want to encourage all of us to have the same attitude. What can this look like in practice? Here are some ideas:
Be humble.
Joshua fell facedown before the Lord. Why don’t we literally try the same? Go and be by yourself somewhere and fall face down before God asking him for his will, not ours, to be done.
Take the Lord's Prayer and dwell on the line that says “Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” What does his will being done on earth actually look like? Pray into that vision.
Pull out your own “log” first.
Luke 6:42, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Let’s be clear: there are evil strongholds in this nation that need to be addressed and torn down; there are political forces that seek to undermine and destroy God’s life-giving and life-promoting values and statutes. You know what these strongholds are.
No matter which side you’re leaning on politically, you’re probably very aware of the “evil” on the other side. However, according to the above verse, our ability and our mandate to confront evil in others will increase if we come from a place of humble self-reflection and a willingness to remove our own logs first.
Yes, I hope that our political leaders will have the courage to be examples of what it looks like when we take responsibility for our own actions first. But I hope even more that we, as followers of Jesus, can set an example to them.
Therefore, I want to call us to repentance. Identify the “sacred cows” and idols that exist in your political camp and in this nation and ask the Lord to tear them down. Ask the Lord to set you free where fear, judgment, idolatry, or hardness of heart have gotten a hold of you. I’m speaking to myself, too!
Judgment (“house cleaning”) always begins in one’s own house first (1 Pet. 4:17). It’s time to be a people of “priests and prophets” that fearlessly call powerful people to account.
What can you repent of today, on behalf of yourself, the USA and the political parties in this country?
Be mindful of what influences you.
Honestly, why not switch off your political news stations and social media feeds until after the election and, instead, spend more time reading the Bible and filling your mind with the reality of Christ’s rule and reign here and now?
Unfortunately, the world is manipulative. This means that most of the news and information it presents us with is trying to feed into our fears. Why? Because fear makes money. Fear is an acronym for “false evidence appearing real.” Don’t allow that. Get into God’s Word and let his love become your guide. True discernment is always rooted in love (Philippians 1:9).
Let me be clear: I’m not advocating that you stick your head in the sand and ignore what’s happening. What I am encouraging you to do is stick your head in God’s Word and be filled with his Kingdom realities so that you become a beacon of light instead of an echo chamber of the manipulative negativity that tries to get your attention every day.
Love and pray for your “enemies.”
Whoever it is that disagrees with you politically, Jesus wants you to love them and to pray for them (Mt. 5:44). Very simple. Not easy, but simple. If you’re a Democrat, pray for Donald Trump and/or have your Republican neighbor over for the best dinner ever! If you’re a Republican, lift up Kamala Harris and find ways to bless your Democrat neighbors.
Trust that God is sovereign.
No matter what happens, God is good, God is in charge, God is full of hope and confidence. Pastor Bill Johnson once said, “I cannot afford to have a thought in my mind that is not his.” The moment we start being more impressed with evil than with the majesty and goodness of God is when fear replaces faith. Let’s change the “atmos-fear” around us by being joyfully hopeful in the perfect sovereignty of God. This reminds me of Jesus in the boat: “Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.” (Mt. 8:24) Jesus knew his Father was sovereign. I believe God is calling us into greater rest and peace.
How will you respond to the “furious election storm?”
I’m aware that this is a challenging topic. Some of you might feel passionately about the election, and for good reasons. I commend you for your deep desire to see justice and truth prevail, to see God’s Word honored in public, for life to be preserved and for God’s plans to unfold in our country, for manipulation and deception to end, for tyranny to stay away and for the USA to be an example of honor, dignity, and freedom. Please keep praying for those things. And keep praying for protection from the “yeast of Herod,” from anger, and from the deceitfulness of power.
Almighty God, to whom we must give account for all our powers and privileges: Guide and direct, we humbly pray, the minds of all those who are called to elect fit persons to serve in the United States. Grant that in the exercise of our choice we may promote your glory, and the welfare of this nation. This we ask for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (“For an Election”, BCP 2019, p. 655)