Christian conservative Republicans everywhere are waking up to disappointment and despair this morning. Christian leaders are doing conciliatory speeches and blog posts everywhere saying, “Let’s pray for our new president-elect” through clenched teeth. It’s like that annoying part at the end of High School football games when the winning team and the loosing team have to go through a line to shake hands with each other when seconds before they were trying to do bodily harm to each other. The winners are glad they won and the losers would still love to pummel the winners but no one is allowed to act like it.
But we forget something. Political campaigns essentially seek to do two things to you:
- Make you believe that their candidate will save you from all the problems that you perceive to be the worst and most damaging to your way of life
- And simultaneously make you believe that the opposing candidate is the reason for all those problems. And, if elected, will make those problems much worse.
And every one of us is a total sucker for it to some degree.
So, if your candidate won last night then you are feeling pretty good. You throw around words like “historic” and “change” with wide-eyed optimism for your future. A savior has been born unto us this day and he will lead us into a new dawn where life is fair, sin no longer abounds, and dreams become reality for all walks of life.
If your candidate did not win last night, then you feel as though your savior has died in defeat. All hope is lost. Cynicism, despair and indifference knock at your door. You act like Peter telling Jesus not to go to the cross because he could not imagine that this was God’s great plan to save the world (Matt. 16:21-23).
What we are all discovering about ourselves today is that to the degree that we have bought into the idolatrous enticement of a political campaign, we feel lost and disappointed (or naively triumphant). But, Jesus is saying:
Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.
Whether you find yourself on the winning team today or the losing one, Jesus is still the one and only Savior of the world. He is the only one that can fulfill the promise of reconciliation and peace.
…and our US citizenship is really just a characteristic of our circumstances as an alien in this life, as we are really citizens of heaven first and foremost.
Good post; thanks for the reminder of a very needful perspective that puts our place in Jesus above everything else!
Very good post, thank you for the reminder.
Wow, what a great post. Thanks for the reminder!
So, I’m stopping by to let you know that I’m hosting the “Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style†recipe exchange again this year, coming up this Friday. I hope you can join me and if you’re willing to help me spread the news, I’m offering a giveaway as well!
As a Canadian, I got to watch the campaign from the backseat, as it were. You just articulated how I have been feeling about the election. I think the US is easily caught up in the saviour mentality – partly because of the whole “God bless the USA” attitude – you expect God to have a hand in orchestrating your politics. Truth is, the electoral process merely mirrors the beliefs of the country – as people move away from God, they also move away from godly values. I wish that our Canadian politics reflected godly principles, but I’m not surprised that they usually don’t. As a country, the “religious right” has a very small voice.
Yes and amen.
@Angela – I agree that our electoral process reflects our values as a country. Maybe that’s the most difficult thing for the American Church to come to terms with: how fallen we really are.
However, I also believe that all authority comes from God. God’s sovereignty extends even to the presidency. Therefore, I have to do my part as a citizen and vote according to how I think Jesus would vote. Then I rest in knowing that God is big enough to make it all work according to His plan.
Ok, I admit it…I bought into the idolotrous enticement of a political campaign, like an open-mouthed big bass fish. What a fool I have been. Your post was God sent for me. I had read in my devotion time this week, the very same story about Peter and Jesus.
I shouldn't be surprised that our nation is pulling away from God. I refuse to be caught up in it again.
Thanks so much for this great piece.
His will be done!
As a Conservative Christian sure this election was a disappointment because it was a hope for our children and grand children, the unborn and marriage to name a few.
My teeth are not clenched nor do I hate President elect Obama. I am Biblically mandated to honor and respect the office of the President of the United States, that I will do as I think many other Evangelical Christians are doing all over the US. I believe that in that respect we are a witness for Christ, let's not forget that.