The eCrozier

1. As a Christian, I understand my vote as primarily “damage control.” Which party or candidate will do the least damage to the poor and most vulnerable in our society? In my judgment both damage them, so the real question for me is which one will do the least damage? As I see it, any other plumb line for my vote becomes a rationalization for my own selfishness.

2. Government can do a lot of good, but governmental laws can’t legislate love, compassion, or reconciliation. Only God can change the human heart and only in following Jesus do we discover God’s desire for humanity. Too many Christians, in my opinion, place way too much faith in our government, our political affiliations, and our political processes.

3. In Matthew 25, the Gospel tells us that God will judge the nations by how each nation cares for the poor, those in prison, and the sojourner in their midst. The Bible says that God will judge the “nations,” not the Church, by this standard. So, God will judge the United States, like all nations. We don’t have a special exemption.

4. In his Beatitudes in Luke 6, Jesus declares: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Jesus does not say: “Blessed are you who are middle-class.” Yet, that’s all I heard from both parties. Where was the voice for the poor in this election? Hence, my observation in # 1: My vote is “Damage Control.”

5. Democrats, Republicans, and others spent over $2.5 Billion in this election. The result? We have the same political calculus now as we did before the election. I don’t know who primarily benefitted from that $2.5 Billion, but my hunch is it didn’t feed the hungry or heal the sick (unless it was a political operative’s “sick” bank balance). I know that sounds like Judas questioning Jesus, but the amount of money in our politics can’t be anything but corrupting for all sides.

6. Jesus wasn’t a political partisan. He had Zealots, Herodians, Essenes, Sadducees, and Pharisees who were his disciples. He called people beyond “party” affiliation to a deeper commitment to God’s Kingdom on earth as it already is in heaven. We need Christians who are Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Greens to make a similar movement from party followers to followers of Jesus. Such non-partisanship is not being non-political. It’s just putting our lives in the proper order.If I give my allegiance to any political party, then I’m creating an idol (the Bible frowns on such).

7. We can’t wait on politicians to change the world, because they won’t. We can’t wait on governments to legislate love, because they can’t. And we must not allow politics to determine the means by which we love one another. How we love one another should determine the means of our politics.

+Scott