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.