Tuesday, October 29, 2013

A Voters Guide

An Inkling
Last week and again this week our E-News is running an article explaining why the Session does not want us to put out “non-partisan” voters’ guides.  To that word allow me to add this:  a non-partisan voters’ guide – ha!  To bring your Christian values to bear on next week’s election, I offer these suggestions:
Pray.  That’s one thing you can do regardless of your political views.  Pray for the candidates and their families.  Pray for the voters to discern wisely.  Pray for those you find it easy to disdain.
Study.  One reason political ads (and thus political spending) have such an outsized impact is that for many voters these are the only source of information.  That’s scary, since many of the ads are designed to deceive!  Study the issues.  And that means listening to some different voices.  If you usually read The Washington Post, check out The Washington Times, and vice versa.
Discuss.  It really is possible to have civil conversations about politics!  We make better judgments ourselves when we hear how others sort out the issues, and they’ll make better judgments when they hear how we do.   
Weigh.  Matters on which the scripture is both clear and urgent must be given greater weight.  For example, the scripture is clear that God judges a nation in large part by how it treats its most vulnerable – “as you’ve done it to the least of these.…”  That would include the unborn and the poor.  But scripture is neither clear nor urgent about the size of government or how to deal with public debt.  We must weigh accordingly.  (And the complexity of such weighing drives us back to pray, study, and discuss!)
Vote.  It’s easy to opt out, driven either by apathy or disgust.  It’s hard to do all that is necessary to vote well.  Do the hard thing, both for your nation and your Lord.
Rejoice.  Next Wednesday some will be celebrating and others mourning.  Whatever our response, we can rejoice that the One who is not at all subject to our elections is unfailingly gracious and good.  His is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever!  Which means we can rejoice!
Blessings,

Keith