An Election Update

Today is the day--election day! In case you didn't know this, I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to politics! The day of the presidential election is, normally, a fun day for me. I follow some last minute polls, try to get my work done in a timely manner, and then I prepare for an evening of switching between CNN and Fox News to watch the results come in. Each channel has a different perspective and it is even more so on election night! 

This presidential election feels very different for me, though. While I am, overall, still excited that it is election day, I am worried about what this evening, tomorrow morning, and the rest of the week will bring. Each election has gotten more and more negative. This election, though, there is a real possibility of violence. Walmart has pulled guns off their shelves ahead of election day. I have had a friend cussed out by a parent based on who they did not vote for. I've seen more and more negative posts about both of our main party's nominees. I've heard so many people say, "This is the most important election in our lifetime." I've heard people saying, "If you vote for __________, you are voting for __________, so you must not be a Christian." Fear, anxiety, and polarization is the name of the game. Politics has torn apart friends and family and, I must say, it threatens to tear our country apart.

At the end of the day, there will be a winner and there will be a loser. This is a fact. 

Perhaps the potential results stir up those feelings of fear and anxiety. Maybe you are hoping for one outcome and will receive another. But here's some good news...

No matter what happens in this election, Jesus Christ is still King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Jesus Christ is still Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus Christ is still in the business of freely giving grace to each and every person on this earth. Jesus Christ is still in the business of changing and transforming lives, no matter who the president of the United States, the members of Congress, or any other public official that is elected into office. 

What would happen if we share this good news today instead of fear, anxiety, or bragging that our person we voted for won? What might the world look like if we chose to focus less on the earthly powers and more on the powers that matter for eternity? Every time we say the Lord's Prayer we ask, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." What if we truly took those words to heart and worked to be Christ's representatives of love, grace, hope, and peace here on this earth? I have a feeling that the walls of polarization that separate us would fall down, the cuss words we throw at family members during political debates would fall away, the name calling and the platform generalizations would all go away. Instead, we'd see a world of people who may disagree, but still respect one another; people who may be angry, but don't use violence to take out their anger on others; people may be upset about the results of an election, but wouldn't let it completely get them down. I hope we can all share the Good News of Jesus Christ today and every day, so that maybe, just maybe, some real healing can come upon our nation and we may truly be united again.