28 Jul Election Fever

Along with all of you, I watch the current election season with great interest. Every four years, the process, the candidates and the public response to all of it can give us a regular temperature check with respect to our current social climate and value system as a nation.

And, when you take our nation’s temperature this time around—well, it would be understatement to say things have heated up. And while no two elections are ever alike, and while it’s tempting to really believe this will be the one election that makes or breaks our nation, it’s important to remember there have been highly acrimonious elections in the past, with massively unliked candidates elected who had trouble uniting a nation.

You say, well, there has never been an election like this one—and that’s true, but that’s true of just about every election. In saying all of this, I don’t want to undermine the importance of voting and the importance of good national leadership and the very real ramifications that elected officials have on our nation and the world. This election matters, end of story.

And yet—

My concern, as always, as a Christian leader, is first and foremost related to the state of the church. How are we doing with this? How are we doing with any issue of national concern? One of the things I find so fascinating about church history is this reality: when the church focused on being who it was called to be, it thrived, even in the most turbulent times. When it got distracted or fell into temptation to disregard its core mission, it became diluted and relegated to the sidelines of its culture.

The brilliant African theologian, Augustine, in his great work, The City of God, preserved Christianity for us all when he looked out at the fall of Rome, and reminded his fellow Christians that there was something larger and richer and better than the “city of man”—there was the enduring City of God, a kingdom that could not be shaken. He reminded the church that after Rome came and went or changed or grew or even died, the church would go on—if the kingdom citizens remembered who they were.

This truth and realization has buoyed the people of God generation after generation—during the Middle Ages, when feudal lords in Europe fought over land, and then lost the land every century or so, the church continued its mission while the storms of feudal leadership raged. And now—none of those houses remain, but the house of God, the church of Jesus Christ, still does.

And the same will be true of this election—after it has come and gone, you and I will still be kingdom citizens and still a part of this church—unless we don’t handle it well, and allow ourselves to get emotionally capsized by all the waves.

So, how can we handle it well? I want to suggest three things to remember:

1. Remember that the outside and surrounding world is watching us, this church, to see how we handle it.

Will we love one another more than a candidate or a party? If a total outsider were to look at your social media posts (if you make them), would they conclude you love your brother or sister in Christ more than a candidate? “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love another”, Jesus said. Our love and kindness towards one another, in a multicultural environment, is evangelistic- it can cause people to know there really is a real God.

Because if He is real to us, than His Word and commandments to us to love one another will outweigh everything else. And if he is real to you, than others around you who don’t know God should be able to see it by how you and I and we and us treat each other through it all.

2. Remember that our media can often thrive negativity and controversy.

I am not anti-media. I love the media. I was a broadcast journalism major and studied to go to work in a media field—but I also know, to a degree, how the industry works. Bad news sells. “Man rescues dog” doesn’t sell ads or copies. The constant injection of adrenaline through scandal and controversy into our culture creates the appearance of far more bad than good, which can create a really bad cycle.

The media doesn’t cover our service to the homeless, the marriages that have been rescued or young lives being changed at Elementary schools through our service to at-risk kids, and it likely never will. And that’s ok.

But, creating offenses, asking loaded questions and creating controversial headlines have become more and more a part of the media’s job description in the internet age. I respect journalism, deeply value its crucial role in a free society, and would be proud if one of my children worked in the media world one day. But like any industry or role, just like in the local church or with a pastor, a good thing can go bad in certain ways and do more harm than good over the long run. Let’s respect the media, but also remember what it tends to thrive on—and remember, that many times, our media is a reflection of us and our values.

3. Remember that your brother or sister is a fallen creation, just like you.

Redeemed, yes; transformed, I hope; but in process—definitely.

Just like you, and just like me.

That other person may not “get it”, be able to “really see what’s going on”, or “care about what God cares about” in this election. That is certainly possibly. But how would you really know that? Let’s remember that no one sees it all or is going to value everything in the same order of priority that you do. And when we lose our ability to recognize that and work for the common good no matter the results, we have lost something more important than just an election.

If we remember these things (among others), we can do well between now and November.

I am confident, as always, that we will handle this election well and that we will show the surrounding world how a Mosaic church handles things that would normally divide everyone well. Jesus is greater!

Morgan

P.S. Let’s remember to do something else crucial in this election season, as well as in every other season—let’s remember to pray! Would you mind taking 2 minutes to fill out a quick survey about prayer in your life and this church? Thanks—this will help us do a better job equipping you in this crucial area.