By Janet Surette
My country is groaning.
Its upcoming election will be historic one way or the other. It will either bring relief from the assault on its economy, morality, and identity, or it will quite literally, tear the country apart as maps may need to be edited in its wake.
Political opinions are not the standard fare of my writing, but acting in wise, culture-benefiting ways as Christians is. So, I’ll put this out here and take my knocks.
This article isn’t for everyone. It’s specifically directed to my Christian friends who would choose not to vote, or who “vote their conscience” by selecting an obscure party over helping decide between those truly poised for power. The stakes are high for our country this month and every vote matters, so I’m calling in the cavalry, and I hope you’ll answer.
Before you head to the polls, or choose to stay home, I urge you to consider the following:
We are not selecting our next Pastor
For some reason, many Christians expect non-Christian political leaders to believe and act in ways that honour a God they don’t worship. Though it would be lovely, of course, for any person to be governed by an authority that lines up precisely with their personal convictions and aims, that is biblically not a prerequisite for appreciating the role of government, honouring the rule of government, paying taxes, or commending their civil service.
When it comes to selecting church leaders who are responsible for preserving the integrity of the Church, and helping it be an accurate representation of the character and purposes of God in the world, expect precise compliance with the clear qualifications ( I Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9). But when it comes to supporting civil governments, I can only discern from the limited biblical treatment of the subject (Romans 13:1-7, I Peter 2:13-14, I Timothy 2:1-2), that our hopes or expectations should be much more general.
The Bible teaches that civil governments exist for these reasons:
- They are to commend those who do good.
- They are to punish those who do bad.
- And they are to help facilitate peaceful, undisturbed, and dignified lives for their citizens.
If not perfectly or by evangelical standards, this can be done decently according to the natural law of God written on the hearts of humanity because they are made in the image of God. If there is a candidate who shows a reasonable understanding of right and wrong, does not devalue or persecute our faith, and exhibits a commitment to the well-being of the populace, check the darn box.
He’s not preaching on Sunday.
There are more powerful and less injurious ways to live out our convictions.
I heard the phrase “voting my conscience” often in the last election. What I came to realize is that this is a euphemism for not exercising the blood-bought privilege of having a say in government, or voting for a morally aligned, but tiny party that has zero chance of meaningful political impact.
That’s one way to express your convictions for sure, but I’d argue that it whispers an ignorable statement for good, while emitting a sonic boom for collective ill if done en masse.
I don’t think “injurious” is an overstatement. In the last election, it pained my soul to know that some of my brothers & sisters of faith cast their vote for a party that had no chance of attaining power. Though well meaning, that action siphoned off critical votes – a factor in selling the rest of us down the proverbial river of servitude to an unkindly, unprincipled government that has created tumultuous, declining, disunified, unprosperous, and unsettled times. A far cry from peaceful, quiet and dignified.
If you have passionate convictions about the sanctity of life, ethical financial policies, or the value of the family, for example, the methods of life you are already employing to honour those convictions are far more conspicuous and effective than indiscernibly discarding a vote that could tip the scales for your countrymen, towards a friendlier government.
There are points in life worth making, so by all means make them in the most effectual ways available to you. Just be sure that at the end of your point you haven’t inadvertently stuck it to your countrymen.
We are expected to pursue the good of our culture.
When the Israelites were exiled for chronic spiritual infidelity, God sent word to them on how to live and flourish in a culturally and religiously foreign environment. In addition to building, planting, marrying, and multiplying, they were told this:
“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
Their situation was not unlike our present-day state of being Christ-followers in a post-Christian era. Though we may be ideologically misaligned with the prevailing values of our country, it is our duty and to our benefit to pray and work for its good. Even if in the name of principle, I’d argue that any decision that has the potential to withhold good from our countrymen is an abdication of a God-given purpose for Christian engagement in culture (Matt. 5:16, Titus 2:14, 3:8).
So, the question I think we should ask ourselves as we head to the polls (or not), is this:
“Will this decision contribute positively to the welfare of my country?”
If it doesn’t, by commission in selecting a no-winner, or omission in not voting at all, we may stand complicit in enabling a government to cause further harm to the individuals, families, churches, and small businesses that are groaning beneath an unnecessarily heavy load. Will you act for their welfare, or will you stand by and wave a placard that celebrates the consistency of your convictions but provides no tangible help to those we are called to love?
A Conscientious Conclusion
Many of you are already living out a biblically informed conscience in powerful, tangible, and compelling ways. I know that because I see it, and it’s beautiful.
That being true, I want to suggest that there is no need to maintain a practically ineffectual voting philosophy that has the potential to abandon our countrymen to a harmful situation. Vote instead to not withhold good to those to whom it is due since it is in your power to do it.
To do otherwise is unconscionable.
*I have disabled comments for this post. Though I want to offer thoughts to consider, I do not want to provide another forum for unproductive and unkind exchanges. Simply consider the opinion or don’t!