The Election

This has been an incredibly interesting week. George W. Bush was re-elected this Tuesday to be our President for the next four years. I'm amazed at how crazed people get by this political stuff.

Frankly, I'm more concerned with how people at church equate being a Christian with being a "good, patriotic American". Or better yet, equate being a GOOD Christian with being a Republican. Now, understand that I am a registered Republican and I did vote for Bush. It does bother me a lot that many of "us" church folk tend to look down at Democrats, Independents or anyone with a differing opinion. In fact, our church had an insert in our bulletin a couple of weeks ago that said something about it being our Christian duty to vote! We even sang a verse of "God Bless America" last Sunday at the end of services. Are you kidding me?

Now, I'm proud to live in the USA and the freedoms we have in this country. But I don't think it's right or wise to try and "bind" being a Republican or being a voting American on people to prove their mettle as being a good Christian or not. I just finished reading a book for grad school by Robert Nash entitled, "An 8 Track Church in a CD World". He makes a statement that I've decided is my new mantra... "The church operates better in the margin than in the center of a society".

Are we stupid enough to think that if we ally ourselves enough with the government that God will EXTRA-bless our nation? Didn't the Catholic church and the Romans already figure out that doesn't work? Why do we think we, as the USA, are God's newly chosen people? What are we, Mormons?

I guess I've just begun to realize how much more effective the church can be now that I've moved outside the Bible Belt. I mean, do we really need more churches in Dallas, Texas? And how many of them actually reach people that don't know Jesus? In fact, how many people in Dallas, TX don't already have some relationship with Jesus? In Denver, Colorad, there is a HUGE majority of folks that really don't know anything about Christ. Why are we "planting" more churches in the south when there is mission work to do just a few hundred miles north?

In closing, my family went to a Bush victory party at someone's home last Tuesday night. I observed mostly... watched the election results roll in and watched the adults and kids at the party. The kids (about 20 of them below age 10) made up chants full of ugly comments about Kerry. I pulled my son aside (he's 8) and said, "Bud, what those kids are doing isn't nice and I don't want you to participate in it. I may not agree with John Kerry, but he's a human being and deserve respect as such." I think my son got it.

Are we more concerned with who is President (Republican OR Democrat) than we are who has decided to follow Jesus? Seems to me like we ought to leave it at this... 1 Peter 2:13-25 talks about the fact that we are to "respect everyone", to "honor the king". I think that's regardless of who the king is... God is in control. Who am I?

Write your responses to that one...