It's Polictics as Usual

I'm watching the last debate between the presidential candidates from the two major parties. I dislike these elections. I'm thankful that we get to be a part of choosing who our leaders are, but I dislike that it feels that it comes down to what seems to be a lesser of two evils. I started out fairly hopeful with this election as both candidates met at Saddleback Church and were interviewed by Pastor Rick Warren. Along the way, however, both candidates seem to be stooping below the moral values they were claiming to live by. I wish we could see a candidate who kept their character and integrity at a high level throughout the campaigns without pointing fingers and with just take responsibility for themselves.

In the latest issue of The Covenant Companion there is an article by Steve Elde called "The Politics of Hope and Mercy." Elde advises, "When you are deciding whom it is you will vote for, ask yourself whether the candidate is appealing to your best or your worst instincts . . . When you appeal to people's worst instincts, you will find villains to blame and you will try to destroy your opposition (or, at the least, ridicule and discredit them) . . . If being a Christian in an election year means anything, it means not selling your soul to the politics of fear, loathing and self-interest. When you vote, vote for someone who appeals to your best instincts: your hopes, your core beliefs, your compassion, your sense of justice." Sometimes we must put our own ideologies aside for the sake of loving others.

As a Christian, it is my duty to vote for a candidate who will uphold life, who will seek justice, who take care of the homeless, who will remember the poor, who is a good steward of economics and the environment, and who will uphold the laws. No candidate meets all those criteria. And ultimately, I must remember that I can't shirk that off on the nation's leader; I must undertake those duties myself, as well.