"Who should I vote for?" "Why should I vote?"
The question would not have surprised me except that the men asking were from a place and station in life that would suggest I should have been asking them. Indeed, I was sitting at breakfast with them for just that purpose. I wanted to hear their understanding of various biblical questions of interest to me. But this is the world right now. Everything seems to be upside down and backwards.
At first I thought they were politely humoring me. As the conversation unfolded, I concluded that the question was quite simply an expression of their openly pondering the situation. So what did I say?
My reply was something along these lines though my thinking has surely advanced since that breakfast.
First, I realize that I am not voting for the candidate of my choice. That candidate is no longer in the race. The ideas he represented have not carried the day.
Second, I realize that I am going to vote for someone that, in my opinion, has some enormous flaws. There is no news there. This will not be the first time the country has voted for a known womanizer, liar, political panderer, enter your favorite flaw for either candidate here, and on and on. The candidates in front of us just don't represent my sensibilities in many areas.
Third, we will be voting on the choice that the two candidates present the nation. In the big picture overview, that appears to me to be between the politically connected, establishment mover and shaker, and a relatively untrained and untested (politically speaking) outsider that does not play by the established rules. In short, do we want to keep doing things the way we always have or are we, as a nation, ready to try and do things differently. The old adage, "If you keep doing the same thing the same way, why are you surprised you did not get a different result" comes to mind. The different way is wrought with peril since it is untested and the rules are not defined yet. Can the Constitution hold this new approach between the rails? Brad Thor seems to see those risk with some clarity thou I think he understates the arguments against Hillary and the braking power that congress can exert if they will. click here for Brad Thor link....... click here for thoughts on Mrs. Clinton's threats
Fourth, I will vote. I have been given an opportunity to help answer this question by the grace of God and the sacrifices of men and women before me. I will vote. It may not be the question I want to be helping decide but it is the question that is set before us. I can make a decision. It is my duty to make a decision. If I have learned anything over the years, "not making a decision" is still "making a decision". Here is a vision of what my voting may look like (courtesy of Third Rock from the Sun) you must vote
Fifth, I am not voting for a person. I don't much care for either. You will not KNOW the true person your vote is attached to, just the image that has been manufactured for you by others.
I will be voting for a bigger picture and be praying that the Lord's will should prevail. I have full confidence in my God's ability to bring about that which He wants. I do not propose to know what that is except that as I read scripture in every case the question can be asked, "Was Jesus/God glorified?" click here for an article on this thinking
There are some other points/questions that I ponder as I consider the situation;
- has the nation decided "that there is no one righteous..." and therefore stopped looking for that in a leader?
- has the nation decided that if there is no condemnation/judgement on evil doers then why worry about condemning/judging politicians at the polls for their wickedness?
- the Lord does not talk of building an earthly kingdom (though I fully support the idea that America has benefited from the Lord's great blessings and is an exceptional place in that regard) but rather He is focused on the eternal and ushering souls into that kingdom. Elections need to be viewed against that back drop.
- Do words have no fixed meaning any more? You can't really trust any thing you are told so why demand honesty from a candidate? Look at food advertising and tell me which words really have meaning attached to them. Is politics any different?
Thank you for considering these views with me.