There is a Savior. [Insert Elected Official Name Here] Ain't It!

Here I am again, entering the political foray. It's not my traditional arena for sharing, but given how crazy things have gotten, I feel I must once again enter the arena. I wrote back in 2016 about why I voted third party, and while I have not yet firmly made my voting decisions for this year, I can tell you that I am still very disappointed in both party's candidates. I will also tell you that I am 100% percent convinced that neither candidate will save America.

Others have written more eloquently about why neither of the original candidates for president this year stood for Christian ideals. (See O. Alan Noble, 2024; I would agree it is still the case) I am not here to tell people who to vote for based on that statement. Rather, I am going to agree with Professor O. Alan Noble that voters need to hold their candidates accountable for bad, wrong, and sinful policies. I also think that Christian voters need to hold themselves accountable.

As Christians, we say that we believe in a sovereign King, yet we, like the Israelites, demand a man or woman to lead us. We are very blessed with the governmental and religious freedom we have in America, but our government is imperfect, stained by the sin from which all mankind suffers, and from which all mankind needs a Savior.

There is a Savior, and He lives in heaven, not on earth. When we tout a candidate like he or she is the be-all, end-all, I argue that we border on, or even indulge in idolatry. We need to hold ourselves accountable for that. We act like our politicians are going to save America, save us. Sorry. That's been done, by Jesus. Hard stop. One day, every knee will bow, and it will be to Jesus, not to a sovereign (1 Tim 2:1-4; Phil 2:10). The only time all things will be right is when He comes back to rule and to reign. 

Pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-4). Scriptures command us to do so. Vote for whom you want, whether a party candidate, or a write-in. When you do, however, hold yourself accountable to keeping that sovereign in his or her proper place. Only Jesus reigns supreme. Nothing will shake Him, not an elected official, or an election. There is a Savior, and [insert elected official name here] ain't it!

Reference:

O. Alan Noble. (2024, July 5). So you've decided to vote for an unfit candidate. You are not your own. https://newsletter.oalannoble.com/p/so-youve-decided-to-vote-for-an-unfit

Shades of Gray

I'm so tired of the polarization of society. I'm so tired of hearing people labeled as saints or Satan. Seriously! Can't we see that life exists in shades of gray? People are not all good or all bad! We are all created in the image of God, and all of our hearts are deceitful (Jer 17:9).

If I channel my Brene Brown and reflect on her book Braving the Wilderness, I'd say that the root issue of this polarization of society is fear. It's easier to pigeonhole people and label them than it is to accept that people are fallible, that they might disagree with us, that we might disagree with them. It is easier to see people as stagnant than as capable of growth, because then we might have to grow. 

Truth always exists, and there is a place for confronting lies and telling things like they are. But seriously, can we not let some things go?  I'm not saying we all have to agree. I just wish we could all get along and have some grace and appreciation of one another and our differences. I wish we could be authentic and genuine with one another without fear of recoil or backlash or getting sued for goodness' sake!

As a former black-and-whiter, I still have strong beliefs and preferences, especially when it comes to my faith in Jesus for salvation. But I don't want a Bible-basher, a polarizer, a labeler, a pigeon-holer. Rather, I want to see people as the intricately wonderfully created people they are, people capable of good and evil, people capable of growth and change and redemption. 

I know who I am. I know Whose I am. I don't need to be afraid. Because of that, I'm making an effort to see people in shades of gray,and the world in shades of color, for much of the beauty of life lies there.