2024 October news-letter article

Happy New Year brethren!

I think it’s a great thing that North Carolina is a “swing state”, but I am growing exceedingly exhausted by the political advertisements on television, on our once-pretty road ways, even embedded within my pod casts!  I’m going to go [not too far] out on a limb and guess that you are growing weary of the coming election also.  I would like to kindly inform you that the dead line to register to vote in the coming federal election is Friday, October 11.  If you are eighteen years old, a citizen, and haven’t lost your right to vote as a criminal, PLEASE make sure you are registered to vote.  As citizens of God’s Kingdom, let’s be the best citizens this country has!

As if they haven’t been already, the coming month-and-change will be extremely divisive, public discourse will be toxic, and we will have 1,001 ways to greatly tarnish our Christian witness and taint the name of Jesus if we are not incredibly careful.  If you’ll allow me, I would like to encourage you to adopt my personal rules surrounding the up-coming election.  I have set these down for myself after much prayer, and I hope you find them to be written in a spirit of humility.  First, bite your tongue and avoid at all costs the temptation to say “I can’t believe a Christian would vote for X (candidate), Y (party), or Z (ballot measure, policy, etc.)!”  Good and godly spiritual siblings may have different understandings of particular issues, applications of God’s Word, or policy priorities.  Perhaps these spiritual siblings of ours are “younger brothers/sisters”; let’s not throw a stumbling block into the path of a fellow believer, regardless of how mature they may or may not be, besmirching them and condemning their opinion.  Second, let’s avoid assuming the worst about those with whom we do not agree.  Whether the person is a fellow believer or not, let’s practice Christian charity and avoid considering them A) stupid, or B) evil.  As an extension of this charity, let’s give everyone the benefit of the doubt and presume they genuinely want the betterment of our country and society.  Third, don’t take your opinion, or party, or candidate too seriously.  Be light hearted, good humored, and willing to concede points, acknowledging weaknesses in your own opinions, if you happen to be in a deep conversation about politics in the days ahead.  Fourth, if you “evangelize” a party or candidate this month, it could dilute your ability to practice genuine evangelism next month.  Remember Whose you are; take care before sullying His name, and hindering your own ability to witness (yes, this includes social media).  Fifth, maintain a biblical perspective.  Our hope is not of this world.  No one will go to heaven because the “good guy” wins in November; and even if the “bad guy” wins, God will still be on the throne.  Let’s join the Lord in the business of seeing souls saved and lives changed.  This will help us fight the temptation to view anyone or anything as a savior of anything, besides Jesus.

If you are like me, and really want to just stay home on November 05, let me remind you that local and state races tend to impact our lives more than the results of the presidential election or the Congress.  So even if you write in Jim Cohn for president, please vote for the races down the ballot.  Take a day, educate yourself about the races and the candidates, pray over these decisions, and honestly strive to honor God when you cast your ballot.  I don’t expect you all to be as big a “pin head” as I am; not everyone holds a public policy degree (from the greatest university in the history of the world!!) and nerds out the way I do about this stuff.  Neither do I expect you to value each of these things in the same way I do, but consider the following issues as you think through the complexities of your decision-making.  These are my personal top-five most important issues (in no particular order).

When I think about policies in our state or country, I always consider religious liberty as articulated in Amendment I of the [federal] Constitution.  In the age of “anti-discrimination” legislation, these kinds of regulations and rules are often thinly-veiled attempts (by people who have worldly, rather than biblical, views of gender and sexuality) to target Christians (or people of other religious convictions) from practicing our faith freely.

I also consider issues affecting the dignity of life.  I could write whole news-letter articles about these.  Though I don’t worry about things in North Carolina as Christians should in other states, physician-assisted suicide strikes at the heart of humans being made in the image of God.  I also think followers of Jesus should hope for, pray for, and work toward saving every not-yet-born baby we can, and their mothers, most of whom have not even been enlightened enough to consider abortion to be the killing of a human being.

An extension of this series of issues are those involving gender identity.  I don’t think it’s wise for us to allow (never mind promote or encourage or celebrate) children to do grave harm to their own bodies.  In several states, parents have had their rights stripped away because they would rather affirm who God made their child to be.  I pray that our officials, elected and otherwise, will work to protect children, and support parents.
 
I would not have even considered this issue twelve months ago, but over the past fifty-one weeks, I have given much consideration to our country’s foreign policy.  I unapologetically support the right of the Jewish people to have a piece of real estate somewhere to call their own.  Israel (the modern country) is the toe-hold of western civilization in a region of the globe marked by tyranny.  If our political leaders are wise, they will not try to restrain Israel from exercising its right to defend itself.  We’d also be wise to project strength, and a willingness to defend the defenseless.  When the United States displays weakness, tyranny advances, and people around the world suffer.

When I consider electing officials to represent and serve me, I also must consider their character.  Are they honest?  Do they have convictions and principles?  Do they look remotely like Jesus (very few ever have)?  Would they honor God in what they do, and how they do it?  Do they genuinely have our best interest at heart?  Do they have any inkling of humility?  Do they seem to cultivate trust and loyalty?

If you, as I am, are exhausted by political discourse and disgusted by the hatred and slander of the public square, be encouraged.  I write this not to divide us or spark debate.  I write this not to unify us around a candidate or party.  I write this to rise above the fray, maintaining perspective, and uniting us around King Jesus!  Let’s vote, despite the pitiful options we have, because as citizens of the Kingdom of God, we’re the best citizens this country has.  Let’s pray for our country, and her leaders (whether or not they are the ones we supported).  Let’s pray for the people across this great land, that souls might be saved, lives might be changed, and human flourishing might be promoted.  Let’s pray for a great revival of the Church and spiritual awakening of the lost.

America, America, God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law,
--A.J.