Debatable

Decisions, decisions.

We’ve got some pretty big ones looming. 

Like whether to buy the fun size or full size KitKat bars. (Give me a break. And more chocolate.)

Also… who to vote for.

(Any late entries? Please? Bueller?)

Four years ago, I wrote about my election-induced angst. And guess what? 

Deja vu.

I couldn’t believe my eyes during that first presidential debacle. I mean… debate. (Mud-slinging and scoffing and slander… oh my!) At least the VP debate didn’t turn into a bar brawl. Thank you, Mr. Vice President and Senator Harris, for maintaining a level of civility.

The election is less than 30 days out. Time to make a decision/choose a candidate/cast a vote. And for heaven’s sake – and our country’s too – let’s redouble our efforts to be respectful and kind to one another as we do. 

Because how we get to our decision is different for everyone.

Some people vote for the person. Some vote for their policies. And some just vote a party. (<No independent thinking required.)

Pretty sure this two-party system is failing us. All of us… as in… we the people. But for this election cycle, I guess it is what it is. (Alexa, remind Congress to overhaul the entire political process prior to November 2024.)

Ultimately, it comes down to this…

What are the issues that matter most, both short-term and long haul? Which person possesses the character qualities that I esteem (or can stomach)? Who will work to promote the values I hold dearest (or at least not annihilate them)?

There are as many priorities as there are people in this country. God made us wildly different and beautifully diverse… and we all walk our own distinct path. We’ve each had different parenting, different schooling, different socioeconomic circumstances, different subcultures, different social circles, and most importantly, different experiences. (And as a result, we all have implicit biases/blind spots/blurry vision when we look at the policies, platforms and politicans.) So…

Maybe we should just graciously agree to disagree – not only on the issues but how we rank them – and stop trying to tell other people what to think… or how to vote.

We can’t expect everyone to prioritize the same issues we do. (But for some crazy reason, we tend to.)

And we shouldn’t expect the government to do the church’s job either. Caring for the poor/hungry/homeless, welcoming the outsider, uplifting the downtrodden, doing justly, forgiving freely, pursuing peace… These responsibilities are all in our job description, Christians. Let’s do our job. (And let’s not forget that we should ONLY be followers of Christ, not a candidate, court justice or clergy member. Christ alone.)

So which issues are of utmost importance to you?

Protecting human life? 

Preserving our planet?

Racial equality?

Religious liberty?

Economy?

Education?

Immigration?

The right to bear arms?

Gun control?

Healthcare?

Crime and safety?

Foreign policy?

Domestic?

Supreme court?

Strong military?

Police reform?

The list goes on and on. And the candidates go on and on about the list. (Promises, promises.)

Perhaps the deeper question is this: 

What are you afraid of?

(Hint… the thing that makes you spittin’ mad? There’s likely a deep, dark fear lurking beneath that trigger.)

Civil unrest?

Police brutality?

Religious persecution? 

Market crash?

Climate change?

Socialism?

Terrorism?

Hate crimes?

COVID?

^ This list goes on and on too. Because in a volatile world, our fears multiply like rapidly-mutating viruses. And politicians can smell fear from a state away (blue or red)… That’s how people get played. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the pawn of any politician, party or political agenda; I’ll take my fears to God instead.

Here’s what I’m not afraid of:

You.

Or your opinion about my vote.

Because I don’t have to justify my vote to any party member, pollster or public official.

I answer only to God.

Abraham Lincoln knew that. And I do too.

Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.

What does God think about all this? The election? The discourse? The divisiveness in our nation/our neighborhoods/our churches even?

I honestly don’t know… because I can’t begin to grasp the mind of God. No human brain possibly could:

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” ~ Romans 11:33b (ESV)

I just know that I’m sad. And scared. And more than a little unsettled by the arrogance/aggression/acrimony I’m witnessing, too often in people of faith. (How can we be ambassadors for Christ if we’re hurling molotov cocktails from the embassy?)

But I’m still holding onto hope that what really matters will become clear.

To all of us.

And what really matters isn’t politics.

It’s people.

Their lives, their hearts, their wellbeing. On planet Earth… and in eternity.

That’s why the only hill I’d be willing to die on is…

Calvary.

Not Capitol Hill.

(It’s looking more and more like a landfill anyway.)

Collectively, we’ve become so insistent and indignant that we’re tearing ourselves apart. I hate to be a doom-and-gloom kinda girl, but if we don’t start pulling together, we’ll come undone. This is the United States of America. We need to stop splitting ourselves up into tribes and teams… and stay on the same one. Or we’re gonna lose the whole ball game. (And ourselves, in the process.)

And citizens of the kingdom of heaven? We have a direct order from our Commander-in-Chief:

Unity. 

… Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ~ Philippians 2:2 (NASB)

So how about we refrain from insisting/insulting/disparaging/judging our brothers and sisters/fellow citizens/other voters? And lose the labels. (Labels are meant for clothes, containers and canning jars, not people.)

Our mission is sharing – and showing – the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instead of name-calling and cursing, let’s focus on these four-letter words…

P R A Y.

I pray that your love will keep on growing more and more, together with true knowledge and perfect judgment, so that you will be able to choose what is best… ~ Philippians 1:9 (GNT)

V O T E.

It’s a privilege (not afforded to all).

Brave men and women have died to preserve our right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” I simply can’t dishonor their sacrifices by flushing a hard-won vote. As disappointing as the options seem, I’ll cast my vote… because I cherish the freedom and opportunity to do so.

L O V E.

Without it, our words/actions/lives are pointless/hopeless/worthless.

If I had the gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn’t love others, I would only be making noise.  If I had the gift of prophecy and knew all about what is going to happen in the future, knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would it do? Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 (TLB)

Want your time to count?

Pray.

Want your voice to count?

Vote.

Want your life to count?

Love.

We shouldn’t look to the right – or the left – to solve our problems. We need to look…

Up.

It’s the only way forward. 

(And that’s undebatable.)

Wendy

P.S. You may vehemently oppose my views, my values and every word I’ve written here. But can we still be friends? I’d like that very much.

The Race Ahead

There are two races happening simultaneously…

Right.

Now.

At this critical moment in history.

A tensely public one… and an intensely private one.

The presidential race.

And the personal one.

The real question is: which race is compelling/controlling/consuming you?

I don’t know about yours… but my newsfeed’s been littered with sordid soundbites, toxic tweets, polarizing posts, contentious comments and misguided memes. Shouldn’t surprise me. That kind of crap is the hallmark of any election cycle. But it feels like a sucker punch to the gut when it comes from other Christians.

Ugh.

If we claim to follow Jesus, aren’t we supposed to respond (and relate) the way he does?

I know; I know. It’s an impossible standard. I get it. I fail, again and again. And again. (Just ask Steve. Or my kids.)

But shouldn’t we at least try?

(And maybe pause… before we post?)

Jesus doesn’t use control tactics or condescension or condemnation to influence us. He uses breathtaking kindness and uncanny humility and astonishing mercy.

Aren’t we called to be his imitators… and ambassadors?

(Pssst. Our thinly-disguised arrogance and defensiveness are showing. We should probably ask him to help us tuck that back in.)

In an authorized biography of his life (penned by his friend John), Jesus put it bluntly:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” ~ John 14:15 (ESV)

One of which was…

Love your enemies.

(I can only assume that includes political adversaries…)

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” ~ Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)

Here’s the bottom line. Jesus is our leader. We’re supposed to follow him.

Not Trump. Or Biden. Or any other politician…or party.

(Thank God.)

Yes, by all means (in-person, absentee, mail)… please VOTE.

But remember this:

We follow Jesus alone. We chase after him. We run wholeheartedly and hard for the finish line – on the route he has mapped out for us. We push through pain. We stay steady… finish strong… leave it all on the course.

The walk/sprint/marathon/obstacle course called…

Life.

Yours.

And mine.

We all get to run it once. There’s no training course or trial run.

This.

Is.

It.

And if you call yourself a Christian, you (and I) have got some pretty explicit instructions:

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.

God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! ~ Hebrews 12:1-13 (MSG)

That’s my hope/prayer/purpose…

To run this race. With Jesus.

For Jesus.

Like my life – and others’ – depended on it.

I’ve been running a long time. I’ve got scraped knees and blistered feet and shin splints. I falter and fall back… and fall down. Sometimes I even veer off the race route. But here’s a few things I’ve learned along the way:

Quit looking around while you’re running. It’ll slow you down.

Stay in your lane.

Don’t get discouraged/distracted/dismayed by the other runners.

And whatever you do, don’t run for accolades or applause. Ribbons fray. Trophies tarnish. Ovations end. Earthly acclaim is fleeting. And race fans are fickle. (Sometimes the fastest and best runners have the fewest people cheering them on. Often, actually.)

The next couple months will likely bring less-than-ideal race conditions – in both the presidential contest and the personal one.

Let’s focus on the race that matters.

And pick up the pace.

Wendy

P.S. Someone needs to read this:

Maybe you think it’s too late for you. You quit the race a long time ago… or never even bothered to enter. Maybe you think you’re disqualified because of what you did or where you’ve been… or who you are. But that’s a lie. Jesus’ invitation stands. And his love for you is indestructable, his mercy free for the asking. It’s time to put your feet in the starting blocks. He’ll show you the way. (He is the Way.) And he’ll run with you. Every single step.

So what are you waiting for?

On your mark.