Election years are ugly. That's not surprising since the political spin machines spend big $$$ to get us to vote for their side. They will appeal to whatever motivations their marketing researchers tell them will get the great apathetic mass of America to actually show up at the poles - so expect to see a lot of advertising focused on stirring up our fear, greed, and anger.
And based on what I have been seeing on the newsfeed on Facebook, we can expect this election year to be ugly just like all the rest. The rhetoric and mud-slinging is already starting among my friends. Some of these people I actually know and respect. Some I even enjoy their company. And that is why I am nervous. I can see the carnage coming.
So how can we, as followers of Jesus, honor Jesus in an election year? That is a tall order, but I would like to offer a few observations from Romans 14. This passage is obviously not about voting or the American political climate - but it is about how to deal with potentially divisive, emotionally charged personal and cultural differences. It is not about us - but it does apply to us.
1. Develop strong opinions.
Let each man be fully persuaded in his own mind. In other words, study, think carefully, and develop strong opinions. Some people think the best way to avoid conflict is to simply avoid it - and what better way to avoid it than to hide behind apathy and a lack of engagement. Some will even try to spin this off as sort of spiritual virtue.
"Well, you know, I am only concerned about the Kingdom of God."
"It's all going to burn anyway, so I am just going to focus on what's really important."
"God's in control, so I just rest in that."
Translation: I am too lazy to study the topics and develop opinions. The political issues in front of us are important and we should be engaged and informed. We should develop strong opinions - even though that will result in our disagreeing with others.
2. Have strong opinions, but don't be defined by those opinions.
As a follower of Christ, you are not first a republican or democrat. You are not first a Tea Party-er or an Occupy-er. You are not first a economic or social conservative or progressive. You are first a follower of Jesus.
So, in the way you promote your opinions (whether verbally or online), you need to communicate in a way that honors Jesus first and promotes your ideas second. You need to communicate in a way that it is clear that you love the people you are talking to and talking about more than you love your opinions about them.
This means that character assassination and personal mud-slinging is out. It means that saying (or forwarding, retweeting, or sharing) things that misrepresent the people or positions of the opposing side (even if they are "funny") is out. It means that pointing our comments "at" someone instead of "to" them is out. It means acting like a megaphone for the political spin machines is out.
It means that we need to honor Jesus by engaging ideas instead of attacking people. It means that we love our enemies and treat those who disagree with us as humans created in the image of God (whether or not they know or acknowledge that God).
3. In it all, keep it all in perspective.
It is easy to get caught up in the hype and be motivated by the fear of election-year emotion. But when it is all said and done, we need to remember who we are and whose we are. We are followers of Jesus, broken, humble, forgiven, and full of hope because we are secure God because of Jesus. And we are God's - redeemed by his work for his glory.
If we live (which itself is a gift we can't take for granted), we live to follow and honor and love God first. If we die, we die in Christ. That means that whether we live or die, we are to live for his glory first because, by his work, we have been made his brother and co-heirs. He took our place in judgement so that we stand with him in his place of blessing. That single truth eclipses everything else for those who follow him.
If we get that, as much as we may dislike a politician, a political party, or a social movement, we will see through the eyes of grace. We see all of life from the perspective of one who had to be forgiven to be made whole. And all of this means that when we look around, we will see humans also in need of grace.
This is what the gospel does. It gives us a confidence that supersedes our opinions. We are loved, forgiven, empowered, and enriched because of Jesus. As a result, we can hold our opinions strongly and argue them forcefully, while not being defined by those opinions or by the success of our political party. We can disagree with others without rejecting and degrading their worth, dignity, or intelligence because Jesus didn't degrade ours. Instead he redeemed it.
So, how do we, as Christ-followers, honor God in this election year? We follow Christ.
And based on what I have been seeing on the newsfeed on Facebook, we can expect this election year to be ugly just like all the rest. The rhetoric and mud-slinging is already starting among my friends. Some of these people I actually know and respect. Some I even enjoy their company. And that is why I am nervous. I can see the carnage coming.
So how can we, as followers of Jesus, honor Jesus in an election year? That is a tall order, but I would like to offer a few observations from Romans 14. This passage is obviously not about voting or the American political climate - but it is about how to deal with potentially divisive, emotionally charged personal and cultural differences. It is not about us - but it does apply to us.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
(Romans 14:5-9 ESV)
1. Develop strong opinions.
Let each man be fully persuaded in his own mind. In other words, study, think carefully, and develop strong opinions. Some people think the best way to avoid conflict is to simply avoid it - and what better way to avoid it than to hide behind apathy and a lack of engagement. Some will even try to spin this off as sort of spiritual virtue.
"Well, you know, I am only concerned about the Kingdom of God."
"It's all going to burn anyway, so I am just going to focus on what's really important."
"God's in control, so I just rest in that."
Translation: I am too lazy to study the topics and develop opinions. The political issues in front of us are important and we should be engaged and informed. We should develop strong opinions - even though that will result in our disagreeing with others.
2. Have strong opinions, but don't be defined by those opinions.
As a follower of Christ, you are not first a republican or democrat. You are not first a Tea Party-er or an Occupy-er. You are not first a economic or social conservative or progressive. You are first a follower of Jesus.
So, in the way you promote your opinions (whether verbally or online), you need to communicate in a way that honors Jesus first and promotes your ideas second. You need to communicate in a way that it is clear that you love the people you are talking to and talking about more than you love your opinions about them.
This means that character assassination and personal mud-slinging is out. It means that saying (or forwarding, retweeting, or sharing) things that misrepresent the people or positions of the opposing side (even if they are "funny") is out. It means that pointing our comments "at" someone instead of "to" them is out. It means acting like a megaphone for the political spin machines is out.
It means that we need to honor Jesus by engaging ideas instead of attacking people. It means that we love our enemies and treat those who disagree with us as humans created in the image of God (whether or not they know or acknowledge that God).
3. In it all, keep it all in perspective.
It is easy to get caught up in the hype and be motivated by the fear of election-year emotion. But when it is all said and done, we need to remember who we are and whose we are. We are followers of Jesus, broken, humble, forgiven, and full of hope because we are secure God because of Jesus. And we are God's - redeemed by his work for his glory.
If we live (which itself is a gift we can't take for granted), we live to follow and honor and love God first. If we die, we die in Christ. That means that whether we live or die, we are to live for his glory first because, by his work, we have been made his brother and co-heirs. He took our place in judgement so that we stand with him in his place of blessing. That single truth eclipses everything else for those who follow him.
If we get that, as much as we may dislike a politician, a political party, or a social movement, we will see through the eyes of grace. We see all of life from the perspective of one who had to be forgiven to be made whole. And all of this means that when we look around, we will see humans also in need of grace.
This is what the gospel does. It gives us a confidence that supersedes our opinions. We are loved, forgiven, empowered, and enriched because of Jesus. As a result, we can hold our opinions strongly and argue them forcefully, while not being defined by those opinions or by the success of our political party. We can disagree with others without rejecting and degrading their worth, dignity, or intelligence because Jesus didn't degrade ours. Instead he redeemed it.
So, how do we, as Christ-followers, honor God in this election year? We follow Christ.
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