Election Day

Today is Election Day. At last. One of the harshest and dirtiest campaigns for a mid-term election in recent memory has finally come to an end. I will go to Sanford Elementary and cast my ballot later. I’m hoping to see several more of those great political commercials before I vote. I especially like the ones where one candidate blasts the other for running a negative campaign. I got several phone calls last night, one from Rudy Giuliani, urging me to vote for George Allen. At least, I guess that is what they were going to urge me to do. I hung up— they were interrupting a Thelma Drake and Phil Kellam commercial-a-thon on TV. Of course, I then had the thought, “What if that wasn’t an automated calling system and Rudy Giuliani really was calling me… to ask directions to church or something?”

I am going to vote. I won't tell WHO I'm going to vote for-- always a chance that I'll see one more political commercial and make up my mind... to vote for the other guy. After all the mud-slinging and dirty politics this year, I’m not sure whether we need an election today as much as a shower! But I am convinced of two things—

First, our political system is terribly flawed and imperfect— until you compare it to every other system in the history of the world. We are blessed to live in a governmental system that not only allows us to participate, but our participation IS the governmental system. Our voice makes a difference. Remember the election board in Florida going though ballots one by one struggling with hanging and dimpled chads? Every 2 or 4 or 6 years, the voice of the people has the power to “throw the bums out.” Maybe we need to do that occasionally just to make sure they are listening.

Second, our political and governmental system will never bring peace on earth, justice to the oppressed or righteousness to the land. Only the in-breaking of the kingdom of God into our hearts and lives can truly do. There is a fundamental sense in which the kingdoms of men and women (even if they are led by good men and women) will remain at odds with the kingdom of God. The kingdoms of men are all about POWER-- acquiring, maintaining and using power. The kingdom of God is about laying power down before God to serve others (see Matt 20:25-28). To put our “faith” in governmental systems and political leaders is to set ourselves up for disappointment.

Put your faith in God and keep an skeptical eye on your leaders. And vote.