Thursday, October 30, 2008

My Reflection on the Election

It’s probably safe to say that more Christians have collectively spent more hours in prayer about this presidential election than just about anything else in our lifetimes. While no one—Christian or otherwise—doubts the gargantuan importance of this election or the magnitude of its consequences, it is mystifying how much disagreement there is in the church about who the right candidate is.

For many reasons beyond the scope of this essay, it is extremely difficult for me to understand how anyone who names the Name of Christ could overlook so much ranging from questionable to disturbing to vote for Barack Obama (and I welcome comments to the contrary). Yet many devoted Christians who love God and pray earnestly favor Obama. I have a dear friend, a true lover of God and a brilliant woman, who enthusiastically supports Obama and believes there is sinister, perhaps even demonic, activity on the Republican side intended to derail her candidate. With the ACORN mess and other suspicious reports, I have felt the same about the Democratic side trying to undermine McCain. We both believe the other’s candidate lies or hides the truth about his record, policies, or associations. We both pray for truth to prevail. We pretend to view that as a point of agreement, yet we have different ideas of what truth probably is in this case. It is very sad that this should be.

One pundit perhaps summed it up well by suggesting that Obama supporters support whom they hope he will be, not who he is. In my humble judgment, that’s a dangerous gamble. Thank God, at least, that we do have the freedom to choose, and make our choice before God.

Two things are certain. First, we are all praying for God’s Perfect Will to be done in the election, while hoping and believing that his Will includes our candidate. Second, because God is sovereign and because the Church has prayed diligently, God will certainly have his way in the selection of our president, regardless of who wins. We will receive the Lord’s mercy or his long-withheld judgment.

Like many Christians, I have prayed for mercy to triumph over judgment, even though I know we deserve judgment. I have for years asked God to be as harsh as he needs to be, but as gentle as he can be, to get our attention and deal with the sins of this nation, beginning with the Church. As our parents used to tell us, we can choose to learn our lessons the easy way or the hard way.

No matter what happens, however, our response as believers should be the same, knowing that God’s ways are always redemptive and that judgment is really simply severe mercy. Those who don’t yet know the Lord often think God judges to punish or be mean. We who know his loving nature, though, understand that when he allows judgment, it is always to draw his people back to himself, for their eternal good and his own glory. This we can all agree on.

We still have five days to pray earnestly and honestly for God’s choice for President of the United States. On Wednesday morning some of us will be elated and some grief-stricken. Whatever happens on Tuesday, however, we should each fall on our knees on Wednesday in humility and gratitude, either for his amazing grace and mercy, or because he loves us enough to discipline us. And let’s also respond with renewed commitment to Jesus’ two great commandments, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves, and so be salt and light to our ever-darkening culture. God is in control, regardless of who inhabits the White House. If we’ll do this, the Lord may yet grant us grace to turn this ship of state around.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous23:21

    Hey dear friend

    Appreciated your essay my dear, as I always do and also your heart, wisdom, insight, and directness. Ultimately our response to who ever wins will reveal the true measure of our Christianity. Still....

    As a USA citizen who has lived and served in Europe now for 32 years, I find that it is only in the USA that one can call themselves a true lover of God and at the same time choose to support a candidate of whatever color who is determined to pass such legislation such as the FOCA and backs the heinous crime of Infanticide.

    The person you referred to as "a true lover of God and a brilliant woman, who enthusiastically supports Obama and believes there is sinister, perhaps even demonic, activity on the Republican side intended to derail her candidate" - appears to be oblivious to God's mind and heart about the 45,000,000 who have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience and the yet untold millions should this ungodly legislation be passed.

    I and thousands weep first over the millions of the unborn who have been murdered, the women and their broken lives who are driven to make such decisions and also over the blindness of Christians who are behind the most liberal positioned candidate in our history. My heart breaks. If he should win, it is only because God does intend to judge America and our problems (including financial ) have only just begun. Judgment must begin in the house of the Lord.

    I take this position and am vocal about it because by the grace of God, I must speak. I am reminded of a quote "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" or women.

    Again, I respect you and agree with you my dear, but only am more than grieved at the blindness of more than a hand full of God's own. I share this openly and I can make no apologies to side with the unborn.

    I would really like to challenge all to read an article from a Princeton Law School professor who exposes Barak Obama's position on the FOCA and Infanticide and much more.

    Honeslty, I feel He is an unwitting pawn, someone I do honestly pray for (yes, I pray for Obama), yet he is a deceived though very gifted and capable, articulate leader.

    The Article info is below: (by Robert George)
    http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/browsearchive.php?selection=archive/George_Robert

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  2. Hey Betsy!
    Great post--I love your writing. I was having this similar discussion with my friend. As much as I am not "political," from a lay perspective I have been trying to convey that A)God is in control and B) since God is in control whomever is chosen as president is by His hand for mercy or for judgement. Glad to see a former government rep back that up!

    I hope DC is treating you well. =)
    -E

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  3. Betsy,Thank you for choosing to be one of the few who refuse to be silenced, who speaks the absolute truth and stands on the solid rock. I hope others will get to read your blog as I linked it to my blogspot. What a great way to get the word out. Love Ange

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  4. Anonymous16:03

    I tend to be the "Lord let Your Will be done" person when it comes to prayer on most important things. I never know exactly what to pray so this seems like an easy enough prayer. But with this election I have felt like this is more of a cop out and have actually prayed a little more detail in it. Not a lot more, I am not a wordy person in prayer but there is more. These last few days seem all the more important for prayer. I believe I am to passionate about things sometimes so I rather not talk but will pray. I know that whatever happens God is able to work but I do pray that God would have His hand on the man He chooses to be our next president. I pray that God would do a work in the heart of our next president and that he would not sway with what parties say but follow God. These are troubling times in America. We need a leader who can lead. May the Lord reveal to the hearts of all Christians who He desires to be in office and may that come to pass. May all of His people remain faithfull no matter the outcome. God bless.
    Sami

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