Got the post-election blues?
Most of my friends, colleagues, and loved ones are feeling disoriented, a bit shocked, at the quick win of a presidential candidate they have lost respect for and did not vote for. Bewildered might be a better word.
Most of my friends, colleagues, and loved ones are feeling disoriented, a bit shocked, at the quick win of a presidential candidate they have lost respect for and did not vote for. Bewildered might be a better word.
They assumed that Christians would vote their "biblical values", which to them meant pro-life, sanctity of marriage, sexual orientation according to Romans 1, less spending and debt. But if the statistics tell the truth, many Christians did not vote that way.
Now my friends are trying to understand what happened, why their values seem out of step, and what the future holds. Disoriented–like someone has spun you around and around and around, and you are not sure where you are now as you try to regain your balance. Misunderstood–like someone who finds they are suddenly labeled as mean, bigoted, narrow, selfish, words that truly don't describe them, but the label sticks nonetheless, and there doesn't seem to be a way to clear up the misunderstanding.
What happened? Millions of messages from the secular media, the entertainment industry, secular universities and colleges, and public schools have taken hold of the minds of many people and convinced them that people who refuse to hold a two-tiered view of truth are bad. You can have an opinion on bottom-tiered truth like one and one is truly two or the law of gravity applies to everyone. But to be good in the eyes of western culture today you must believe that views on personal issues such as ethics, morals, and faith are exiled to the upper-realm of "your truth is as good as mine" and "don't ask, don't tell". When Christians insist that truth extends to both realms, they are demonized as evil people. Why are we surprised? These messages have been bombarding the air waves and the Internet for decades. Why are we so surprised that they have saturated naive minds.
I lived the first 25 years of my life as a pagan, and that kind of thinking was taking hold of me when I met Jesus. The people I grew up with, no doubt, think my way of seeing the life is incredibly strange. I am not surprised. Most Christians through the ages did not enjoy the luxury of living in a nation that admired their world view. When Paul wrote to the churches in Asia Minor in the first century he addressed them as "strangers in the world" (1 Peter 1:1). He went on to say, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, although they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us" (2:11,12). God doesn't owe anyone a nation that likes them.
We have joined the ranks of our brothers and sisters throughout the ages who were ridiculed and paid a price for their faith. I expect we will begin to read the Scriptures with greater light and appreciation. Elections have consequences, and when those consequences hit, they will fall on all of us. How Christians respond may be an opportunity to show how strange we really are and how good our Jesus really is. So shed those post-election blues and get ready. The time has come. And that's rather exciting, don't you think?
Sue Edwards
Dr. Edwards is Assistant Professor of Christian Education (Specialization: Women's Studies) at Dallas Theological Seminary and holds degrees from Trinity University, DTS, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is the author of New Doors in Ministry to Women, A Fresh Model for Transforming Your Church, Campus, or Mission Field and Women's Retreats, A Creative Planning Guide. She has 30 years experience in Bible teaching, directing women's ministry, retreat and conference speaking, training teams and teachers, and writing curriculum. Married to David for 34 years, she especially enjoys extended family gatherings and romping with her four grandchildren.
3 Comments
Melissa Miller
Well said, the time has come.
I think we should ask ourselves: could we be attempting to implement the right sort of change using the wrong method?
VisitorTJ
Voting
For me it is sad that "Christians" fall into the false left/right paradigm in politics. Neither are worthy of the Chirstian endorsement. A Christian who votes for a anti-christian church member/high ranking (Mormon) will have to answer for it before the Almighty. 2 John 1:9 – 11 (9) Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (10) If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: (11) For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
Che Joubert
post-election blues
I agree that politics are not necessarily worthy of religious endorsement. Even when people tell you what they believe in, they may not mean it, or may not practice what they believe. This is especially true if there's a grand reward, external to the claimed values, for saying what people want to hear. I'm an older person and do not believe presidents ever truly represent the will of the people they represent.
What bothers me about judging those people, however, as to how they perform or what they promise, is that we, who have so little power, are so willing to grant others credit for power they might not really have. And too – does each of us really practice what we preach all the time? How do we judge who abideth in the doctine of Christ? Although some cases are simple and obvious, others are complex. Are we really so well-informed as to know which is which? Will we reach heaven, where we no longer need to wrestle with earthly sins, and look back upon perfection in our life here below? I think not. Did you expect your teenage self to see as an adult and judge clearly? In God's eyes you are little more than that teenager now, be humble in your judgements, tolerant in spirit to your enemies, and willing to work with the mistakes of others. Teaching takes time and patience. This is what we must offer the world.