"If My People..."
The election is looming near--at last. I'm tired of negative ads and frequent recorded phone messages. I'm tired of hearing otherwise reasonable people rant about all that's wrong with our country and our candidates. I'm tired of hearing the candidates themselves bash each other instead of speaking up to present real, workable solutions for our nation's problems. I'm tired of feeling like I have to choose between the lesser of two (or more) evils.
I'm really rather apolitical. That doesn't mean I'm not aware of the issues, because I am. It doesn't mean I don't care what happens, because I do. Like most people I know, I want what is best for our country. It's just that the large variety of people, in this melting pot that we call America, have an equally large number of opinions about what is right and wrong, and many of them are not shy about presenting their viewpoints as if their own opinions trump those of anyone else.
It seems like this year's election has pitted the "haves" against the "have-nots," the Christian right against the Christian left, and Christians, in general, against non-Christians. Women have become defensive about certain candidates' statements, which may or may not have been taken out of context or blown out of proportion. Oddly enough, gay marriage has become a campaign issue at a time when many heterosexuals are scornful of traditional marriage altogether. Abortion remains a hot topic. Health insurance, unemployment, and the lagging economy are genuinely vital concerns that will not go away when the election is over and the results have been tabulated.
If people would start listening to each other instead of angrily spouting their personal beliefs and demands, we might find that we really want some of the same things for our nation. We might discover more than one right way of doing things. Perhaps that word, compromise, can be used again if more people, even our nation's leaders, can learn to work together to make a difference. Hate doesn't solve anything, but real people, working together for a common cause, can accomplish much.
In just a little more than a week, the election will be over. I know how I will vote, but I can't help but feel like my single vote won't count for much. However, if every registered voter in our country will take his or her voting privilege seriously, and exercise that right to vote, together we will have a say in how our country will be governed. Then, right or wrong, we will have to stand behind our elected officials, and give them our respect and support, even if we don't agree with all of their political platforms and personal beliefs.
I think that the need for prayer is vital for our nation during the next few days. When we feel discouraged and confused about the issues, it is comforting to know that God is ultimately in control of all things. He is the one who established human government, and he expects his people to submit to those in authority, even when we disagree with some of our leaders' approaches to government. (If you are interested, Romans 13 has a lot more to say about this topic.)
Many people agree that our nation is in trouble. The coming election provides a chance to make some things better. In the next week, I hope that you will do three things--pray, vote, and trust God for the outcome. "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7: 14
I'm really rather apolitical. That doesn't mean I'm not aware of the issues, because I am. It doesn't mean I don't care what happens, because I do. Like most people I know, I want what is best for our country. It's just that the large variety of people, in this melting pot that we call America, have an equally large number of opinions about what is right and wrong, and many of them are not shy about presenting their viewpoints as if their own opinions trump those of anyone else.
It seems like this year's election has pitted the "haves" against the "have-nots," the Christian right against the Christian left, and Christians, in general, against non-Christians. Women have become defensive about certain candidates' statements, which may or may not have been taken out of context or blown out of proportion. Oddly enough, gay marriage has become a campaign issue at a time when many heterosexuals are scornful of traditional marriage altogether. Abortion remains a hot topic. Health insurance, unemployment, and the lagging economy are genuinely vital concerns that will not go away when the election is over and the results have been tabulated.
If people would start listening to each other instead of angrily spouting their personal beliefs and demands, we might find that we really want some of the same things for our nation. We might discover more than one right way of doing things. Perhaps that word, compromise, can be used again if more people, even our nation's leaders, can learn to work together to make a difference. Hate doesn't solve anything, but real people, working together for a common cause, can accomplish much.
In just a little more than a week, the election will be over. I know how I will vote, but I can't help but feel like my single vote won't count for much. However, if every registered voter in our country will take his or her voting privilege seriously, and exercise that right to vote, together we will have a say in how our country will be governed. Then, right or wrong, we will have to stand behind our elected officials, and give them our respect and support, even if we don't agree with all of their political platforms and personal beliefs.
I think that the need for prayer is vital for our nation during the next few days. When we feel discouraged and confused about the issues, it is comforting to know that God is ultimately in control of all things. He is the one who established human government, and he expects his people to submit to those in authority, even when we disagree with some of our leaders' approaches to government. (If you are interested, Romans 13 has a lot more to say about this topic.)
Many people agree that our nation is in trouble. The coming election provides a chance to make some things better. In the next week, I hope that you will do three things--pray, vote, and trust God for the outcome. "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7: 14
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