It is possible that there has never been a more ludicrous time in America to be a Christian voter. In a year that began with 16 or more candidates for the Republican nomination, the least qualified and most repugnant among them defied all odds and became the party nominee. Such is the insanity of this presidential election cycle that I can say with a straight and somber face that Donald Trump will be on the ballot in November for the highest office in the land. And if some of my fellow Believers have their way, he will win.
I had wanted to write this post with a title something like, "How Not to Vote Like a Christian." But as I thought about the idea of divorcing my Christian identity from my political choices, I couldn't continue with the lie. A Believer can't simply set that identity aside when casting a ballot. Just as surely as my Christianity is inseparable from my identity - in fact it is my identity - my political decisions are inseparable as well. So I won't be telling you to leave your Christianity behind when you step behind the curtain in November.
In fact if we do try to leave it behind what we might end up with is a bunch of Christians voting for Donald Trump.
Just as I won't tell you to try to vote like you don't believe in Jesus, I also am not going to say that Jesus gives a damn who you vote for. Like a lot of things in life for Christians, there is a temptation to say, believe, or think that Jesus is lurking over your shoulder with the right answer. Should you take that job offer? How about that house - is it the right one for your family? And which candidate should you vote for? In each instance it's tempting to think that you should turn around and ask and Jesus will have the right answer.
To be fair, he does have the right answer. But if you wait until the decision point every time something important happens to ask Jesus what he thinks, you're missing the point entirely. If your primary motivation for following Jesus Christ is to keep yourself from making poor choices, I encourage you to trade in your "faith" for a library of solid self-help books. You'll get more from the books without all the guilt you currently feel. However, if instead you would like to live a new life, the kind that Jesus frequently talked about and promised, then stop keeping him behind you until it's decision time and start making him a regular part of your daily existence.
Jesus just happens to be a regular part of my daily existence, and this fact has taught me several things. One thing I've learned is that I'm a terrible listener. Eager, but just bad at listening. The beauty of Jesus though is that he never tires of me and my poor attention. So I have learned that, when I'm ready to listen, he is already speaking. Also I've learned that Jesus is not a politician, nor does he think in political terms like we do. In fact you could be forgiven if you read the Gospels and came to the conclusion that Jesus is a bit of a radical.
This is why I don't think that Jesus gives a damn about our political choice - because he isn't relying on the personality in the presidency to provide him any security. For some reason we are, which is probably the most baffling part of any election, much less this one. Every four years the Christians in America go into paroxysms of fear and loathing over the Democratic presidential nominee, certain that this time around the Antichrist is lurking behind the curtain. Strange ways to act indeed for a group of people who are supposed to possess hope beyond hope, peace beyond peace, and assurance and security beyond reason.
For those who would hoist Donald Trump up on their shoulders, don't think your off the hook. Jesus may not care about your choice for president, but he still cares about you and those who cross your path. As soon as you cast your lot in with someone as hateful, disrespectful, offensive, and foolhardy as Trump, you can bet you've had your reward. To help a hateful man rise to power is to help his hatefulness rise as well. Just because God can use anyone in the world for the advancement of His Kingdom doesn't mean we're off the hook for making good decisions about who our leaders will be.
I'll leave you with a part of a scripture that comes to mind because of it's clarity, brevity, and applicability for those of us who love and trust God. "Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with the mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)"
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