AN OPPORTUNE MOMENT

We’ve made it to the pinnacle of a very contentious season where emotions and uncertainty runs high and unbridled. The usual politically laced accusations and finger pointing are inflamed and social media inevitably becomes a sparring ground of party affiliations and rage baiting. The air seems somehow more charged, it feels more embittered and more antagonistic.

We’ve placed our votes for candidates that we feel will best guide our nation, and your neighbor has placed their voting faith in another that they feel best represents the morals and goals of our country. This post is not about that subject, I think we’ve all gone through that enough.

My concern is for those that lay claim to faith. Quite a few leaders and politicians who align themselves in the Christian faith have been quick to vilify and have encouraged a mindset that compels heavy passions and oftentimes result in the Christian acting out in the works of the flesh. And by that, I mean that we may feel a righteous indignation but we show this by lashing out in anger and other ways not becoming of a believer.

In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul warned the Galatian church against the dangers of the work of disunity. The church had a rift between the Christian Jew and Christian gentile. It was a matter of unity between divides. “Acts of the flesh are obvious, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not see the Kingdom of God.”

He warned that the works of the flesh can be overpowering to emotions. These works include enmity, which is hatred and an inward feeling of hostility towards another. He warns of strife, which is a type of discord that endangered the Galatian church as well as today, he warned of fits of anger, which are rage filled outbursts and warned of rivalries, an evil fueled by selfish intents. He warned us of dissensions and divisions which foolishly divide people and which produce walled encampments and which give rise to factions within our faith communities.

The Holy Spirit though, the helper Christ left to help us walk in His ways promised to empower us to be unique and act differently than the norm. We should be marked by responding to these things by His power and seen through the lens of the Fruit of The Spirit.

The fruit of the spirit is joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

When we look at the landscape of the political milieu what do we see? The works of the flesh or the work of the spirit?

A lot of political content shared falls the way of the flesh. Name calling, accusations of stolen elections, accusations of supporting a party that embraces destruction. Fear. The mindset of many of the political leaning Christian content unfortunately plays upon our emotions and moves us to quarreling and contempt of the other. Our flesh is cunning, it is wily and always seeks its way above what is right, it’s far too easy to allow politics to become an idol in our hearts and it is far too seductive to embrace conspiracies and giving place to a man or a group put upon a pedestal as chosen prophets.

Being taken captive by our flesh blinds us to even greater problems. Be it the threads of blue or red, how should we as those who profess to hold faith in a God of Love respond to the final results of this election? Make no mistake, He sees through the things which fool our hearts.

If it goes against your outcome, will we cry out that its another stolen election? Will there be those who believe they have been cheated and will feel that so much is at stake that they must do something drastic about this injustice?

Remember, the world is closely watching us and how we respond to all this. Are we following Christ or are we following our own political ideologies? Do we follow politicians who warn us of bogeymen and in order to be safe, that we must put our trust in them?

If we want to be the salt and light that scripture speaks of we must hold to our distinctive flavor opposite from this world. As believers we must not reflect angry rhetoric or allow ourselves to be swept up in heated exchanges be it on social media or the real world. We shouldn’t focus on being right and winning arguments over loving people. Our saltiness fades and loses its flavor and we become no good for anything lest being tossed out and trampled underfoot. Matthew 5:13

We have an opportunity to show the world what it looks like to fully know that our hope is not in a fallible kingdom made by men but in something and someone far greater. If we respond with peace, compassion and humility then we can show that our hope is not in election results, it is in Christ and Him alone. Make no mistake this isn’t some bromide filtered through some weak virtue signaled nonsense but a truth outlined in the very pages of the Gospels. We are not of this world nor do we operate by the values of this world.

There is another truth though, He will have His final say, all things will lead to the conclusion He desires. This is absolute. But that does not negate personal responsibility of the believer to walk in the fruit of the spirit and walk accordingly by the tenants of humility and right actions. All of scripture testifies to this. To suggest otherwise is an excuse to justify one’s actions. Acting counter to what He has called us to will cause us to lose our saltiness, our witness in the world. We will be seen as angry and vindictive hypocrites.

That man or woman you vilify, that person is an image bearer of God, just as you are. Christ died for that person just as He did for you. Christ didn’t come for the religious but for the far off in heart and spirit. Our tongues in public conversation as well as in the private reveal what is within our hearts.

I am no better, you are no better than the most brazen person on the opposing end of your political scope. This fact should humble and bring us into alignment with His message. If we cannot see this than we have missed the plot of all His doings.

Again, remember that He did not give us a spirit of fear 2 Timothy 1:7. Yes, in this emotional time it is difficult to not get pulled into a downward spiral of wrung hands and fearfulness but we can show the world that we are His disciples by modeling His love for one another. It never should mean demonizing another because they disagree with our views. And this goes for those who demonize a fellow believer who holds differing viewpoints.

And what if your candidate should win? Would you shout and gloat? Proverbs 24:17,18 forbids this. “Do Not gloat when your enemy falls, when they stumble do not let your heart rejoice.”

We are in the thick of things now. Are we blending in with those who lack hope? Have we taken up and fallen into the ranks of those angry? Those disillusioned? Those who are upset? Have we forgotten who we are? All this is but a passing shadow that we knew would come. You though, you have been made for this. To reflect His good hope. If we say we love people through Christ’s heart we will want their best. Hearts are never changed through the rule of law, hearts are not changed by self-righteous condemnation but only by sharing the love that changed us. By responding in the Kingdom way, we reflect our hope in the Maker of All Good Things. We respond not to a kingdom made of stone and brick and laws but to a kingdom, endless and shining bright, where death nor striving nor enmity will ever be.