Tomorrow is a pretty important day in our country. In years to come, we may well look back on it as a defining moment in our nation’s long history. While I know how I will vote and who I would like to see as our next president, I know some who would disagree with me. That is the beauty of our democracy…your vote is your own. No one can tell you how or who to vote for…although I’ve seen a few clips of pastors who did just that in their sermons yesterday.
I would never (or even could never) do that from the pulpit. Not because I don’t want to, but because one of the things that makes Presbyterians Presbyterian is our belief in something called “freedom of conscience.” To make it sound churchier, we say, “God alone is Lord of the conscience.” If you’re Presbyterian, you are encouraged by our constitution to “vote your conscience.” What that means is, “Let God’s Word guide your conscience.” What it doesn’t mean is, “Let your conscience be your guide.” We confuse those two sometimes.
I know many people, a bunch of pastors included, who would just as soon keep politics out of the church. Or maybe it’s better to say, out of the good news we preach each week. While some might disagree with me, the good news of Jesus Christ is neither Republican nor Democrat…it does not support any candidate’s political agenda…and I’m pretty sure Jesus would not have backed a political candidate. But that doesn’t mean Jesus wasn’t political.
The good news of Jesus Christ is a socio-political gospel…a social gospel. Jesus was addressing the empire that was oppressing his people. Staring down the Roman Empire, Jesus didn’t call for rebellion, but for love…not for division but for unity. The radical, counter-cultural message he proclaimed was one of grace, hope, peace, and love. The kingdom of God he proclaimed over and against the empire was and still is a political kingdom…not like the powers and principalities of this world, but a Beloved Community where everyone has a place…a peaceable kingdom of equality, equity, and justice.
The empire crucified Jesus for this message…but the message didn’t end with him. He called his followers to finish the good work he started, not by keeping people out, but by welcoming them home; not by pointing out the splinter in our neighbor’s eye while ignoring the log in our own; not by meeting hate with hate. Our faith should shape everything we do…how we live each day…and that includes our politics. We should spend more time discerning who to vote for than deciding what’s for dinner.
I saw this meme the other day: “Genocide is biblical. Loving your enemy is biblical. Only one is Christlike. Slavery is biblical. Breaking chains is biblical. Only one is Christlike. Patriarchy is biblical. Counter-cultural elevation of women is biblical. Only one is Christlike. Retributive violence is biblical. Grace-filled restoration is biblical. Only one is Christlike. Segregation is biblical. Unity is biblical. Only one is Christlike.”
For followers of Jesus Christ, anything that doesn’t lead to life…that doesn’t lead to human flourishing for all and not just some…isn’t Christlike, which is why I always encourage my congregation to answer a question when they’re faced with difficult decisions: “WWJHMD?” What would Jesus have me do?
As you go to the polls tomorrow, I would encourage you to answer that question as well. For me, the answer is love; that’s my default mode. Anything that leads or causes me to stray from loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving my neighbors as myself is not what Jesus would have me do. But you have to answer the question for yourself: “What would Jesus have you do?”