I’ve been putting off this topic for weeks. I look at my bookshelf and a few specific titles jump out at me. I log onto Facebook and cannot avoid it. And as I turn one more page on the calendar I am forced to face this reality.
The next presidential election is just over a week away. When I first started this blog one of my observations that drove me to this was the uncomfortable marriage between faith and politics. One show on Christian-talk defines politics as “faith put into action”. I wonder if Jesus would agree. I heard another Christian talkshow host hang up on a caller who disagreed about homosexuality. No honest open debate, rather he literally hung up on the caller mid sentence as he was trying to quote a scripture. And now, six years after I started this blog, twelve years after George W. Bush and the “value-voter” Christians are identified as much by how they vote than by how they live, if not more.
I had wanted to do a series of blogs on some of the stickier issues this election but I just couldn’t bring myself around to it. I hate to say that I just haven’t cared that much about this election cycle. But that doesn’t mean my apathy is acceptable or that my vote is not important.
I won’t get around to hitting on every hot-topic between now and then, in fact I’m not even going to try. But to be consistent with the theme and intent of this blog, I do want to focus our hearts and minds towards the Word of God so that we can make political decisions based on God’s Will rather than any political party.
I’m not the only one who has this ambition. I’m sure if you looked around enough and listened to enough lessons, you’ll find someone who agrees with you politically. I’m not interested in that. I want to hear from someone who is going to challenge the way I think and convictions I may hold because of my upbringing, my race, my socioeconomics, or my geography.
I’m a big fan of the ministries of Living on the Edge and Ransomed Heart (just look at the buttons on my sidebar). I encourage you to listen to the series Culture Shock over at Living on the Edge and the last few podcasts from Ransomed Heart. Set aside your preconceptions. Set aside your political affiliations. Open your heart and your mind and just listen. There’s a lot there to catch up on (I’m not totally caught up myself) but at least start with Chip’s lesson on “The Church and Politics” and John’s discussion on “Voting” and “Jesus’ View on Government”. Then come back here later this week and we’ll talk about this some more.