God, Religion, Elections, and Politics

In our state’s recent primary elections, candidates of both parties played the religion card with the dexterity of a Las Vegas dealer. One candidate ran advertisements of him standing in front of a church. Some who knew this candidate said the only time he went to church was Easter, Christmas, and the Sunday before elections. Another candidate had religious music playing in the background of his television commercials. Many candidates had supporters handing out flyers at church on the Sunday before the election. Then, after the returns were announced, several winners thanked the voters and the Lord for their victories. With a couple of them, I would have been more comfortable if, instead of describing their victories as the will of God, they would have called them “acts of God” like tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes. In the past, we had revivals once a year so people would get religion; now, we have elections every two years so people can sound religious.

When you add the savory mix of religious talking politicians and the smooth religious leaders who encourage us to vote for their crooks rather than our crooks, it could make you cynical about God, religion, elections, and politics! As a result of observing such self-serving hypocrisy, you consider skipping the next election and the next Sunday in order to simply focus on making a living and having some fun along the way. But don’t let this happen!

Cynicism is a form of seeing the speck in a brother’s eye and ignoring the log in our own eye. Sure candidates are hypocritical and use religion to impress voters. However, don’t throw away the sink just because the water is dirty. Don’t allow the hypocrisy of either political figures who use religion to get elected or religious figures who attempt to manipulate politics to cause you to disengage from participating in the political process or in activities of the kingdom of God.

Here are four things to remember when you get cynical about the mix of God, religion, elections, and politics.

1. The most consistent temptation in life is to attempt to use God rather than allowing God to use you. That is why most of our prayers are of the “give me” variety rather than the “Here am I, Lord, send me” variety. The fact that politicians try to use God is sinful, but no more sinful than our trying to use God to achieve our agendas of wealth, health, and happiness instead of God’s agenda of holiness.

2. Religion is a system, and authentic Christian faith is a relationship with a Savior. Religion is identifiable by the label we wear; authentic Christian faith is known by the choices we make. Jesus told us that kingdom people would be known by their fruits, not by their bumper stickers. (Maybe not a perfect paraphrase, but you get the idea.) See if those who carry the religious banners are producing fruit or producing words.

3. While elections are important and Christians should participate, the kingdom of God on earth will not be brought in or consummated by an election. We are to pray “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and then allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to make that happen every day, not just in election years. While you certainly may be disappointed when your candidate loses, don’t despair. God is still the sovereign God of the universe.

4. Political institutions involve people so they will never be perfect, always flawed. But marriage, family, and church are three other institutions that also involve people. In the best marriages, families, and churches there are flaws, but we can’t refuse to participate just because they are flawed. The same is true in politics.

Religion, elections, and politics are always changing, but God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Keep your focus on the eternal but participate in the temporary in ways that honor and please the Holy Eternal One.