How We Respond Shows Us Where Our Allegiance Lies
By Jessica Dahl, Resonate Ellensburg
This was written previous to the final results of the election.
I remember walking through campus the morning of November 4, 2016- the day after Donald Trump won the election. People were openly weeping as they walked to and from class. Maybe you were one of those mourning, or maybe you were confused by the display of emotions.
So much has changed since that day four years ago. The tone in our country has shifted even from “united we stand” to “us versus them.” No matter who takes the presidency this year, there will be intense reactions on both sides. As a Christian, it has been confusing to navigate the constant news cycle filled with conflicting data. It is more apparent than ever that our faith does not fall neatly into party lines.
In a time where everyone is trying to have the right answer, what if we, the church, focused on the right responses? An answer seeks to end a conversation, and a response seeks to connect. We believe that Jesus is the once-for-all, final Answer to every injustice and hurt on this earth. But unless we learn to respond to those around us with grace, our answer falls on deaf ears and closed hearts. Think about the countless times Jesus was asked a direct question in the gospels. Notice how often he responded by drawing the seeker in, instead of answering the question directly.
Our faith offers timeless truths that transcend election results of the USA in 2020. Here are some ways to engage biblically with the reactions of those around you (and those in your own heart) in the wake of this election season.
Respond with Action
Don't let your vote be the only stone you throw in the turbulent waters of our cultural moment. What points of the ballot got your ideas running or your blood boiling? Pray about them, ask God to give you his heart on the matter, then go act. No matter who is in office, the vote you cast every four years is just one of the many ways to see change brought about. Find a way to serve in that area locally or donate. No matter the outcome of one of the highest positions in our nation, we still have the power to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly” at the smallest level (Micah 6:8). Befriend someone who looks, votes, or believes differently than you. Find a way to serve a single mom. Donate to institutions that work tirelessly toward the sanctity of human life at all ages. Talk with a group of friends about how to be a better steward of the environment. Whatever issues elicit emotional reactions, whatever grieves or excites you about this election, respond to it with active conviction.
Respond with Compassion
For many, politics has taken the place of God. We expect our politics to bring order out of chaos, and justice out of injustice. It has become an ultimate identity. In some ways, the church can learn from the zeal to see heaven brought to earth, and justice in the daily lives of people who are hurting and marginalized. In the wake of a polarizing outcome this election, our extreme reactions may, in some cases, expose idolatry. Our rise and fall of intense emotions often show where our ultimate hope lies. As Mark Sayers has so aptly written about this moment, “People today want the Kingdom of God without the King.”
If you are a Christian wrapped up in politics, this should call us to examine our own hearts with conviction and repentance. To those not in Christ, the church should respond with compassion and proclamation. We need to quit expecting the world to react as if they have the hope that we have. Jude 22 says to “be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear.”
While you may not condone the reactions of others in the wake of the election, we are to “no longer regard anyone from a worldly point of view” (1 Corinthians 5:16). Rather than judge those on the other side of the political spectrum, pray for eyes to see that without Christ and his eternal kingdom, our hope is placed on a flimsy foundation. Pray we would fix our hopes for a just ruler on Jesus, the only true King. Pray that the church would begin to act like a beacon of hope to those who are looking for justice. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he tells them, “As the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12). Seldom can those words be said of either party during the height of an election year, but they must be so of the Church.
Respond with Belief
If you want to feel instant peace and belief, go read Isaiah 40. The entire chapter is an ode to the sovereignty of God, and it goes hard. Here is a little reminder:
“He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing;
he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.
Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
“To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One. (Isaiah 40:23-25, NET)
Don’t give into gloating or despair. The true King is on the throne and has appointed time and seasons of earthly rulers. That is not a trite statement. He has defeated death and evil with finality on the cross, and the victory is already won. Here and now, he is allowing us to participate with him in seeing the kingdom come. In the end he will bring about the complete, total renewal of all things. He will use us - the church - today, to bring about human flourishing, no matter what our national politics may say about it. We can respond with hope that looks different than the reaction of those around us. Rather than scoff at emotional reactions that differ from yours, lean in with calm curiosity, probing beneath the surface. Examine your own fears in the same way. If you are in Christ, remember that while our government matters in our daily lives and those of our neighbors, it is not our ultimate hope. If you are not in Christ, I beg you to dig into the emotional reactions you are experiencing in this time. What do they point to? What is your heart longing for? Ask the deeper questions and look beyond the fray of today. There is a God waiting to give you peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Friends, let us be the church that Jesus started, active in justice, united in love, and unwavering in our belief.
