Voting Towards Reality
It's a wild thing, this American story. We have arrived at the part of the story where one must choose between a political party that denies basic human realities like male and female, basic economics, and the existence of legal borders and something like citizenship on the one hand, and a political party whose biggest strength is being half-heartedly committed to those things. But that's where we are. This is the time God has given to us.
A lot of Christians twist themselves up in knots every election cycle. Using their statements on politics as an opportunity to assess candidates' moral character, they have almost no actual knowledge of outside of the curated images presented rather selectively by media and campaign managers. This year, we had a candidate whose curated aesthetic was "joy," and another who was presented as, on the one hand, a demagogue and the second coming of Hitler, and on the other, as the only man who can save America. Of course, reality exposed itself here and there. Harris and her campaign demonstratively lacked joy, and there was something decidedly unjoyful about her performative cackles. Trump holds positions largely similar to Bill Clinton in the 90s - barely conservative by any objective historical standard and yet seemingly radical for how the Overton window has shifted over the past 30 years. He's neither Hitler nor is he America's savior.
So what's a Christian to do? Here are a few thoughts...
1) Understand what politics is.
You are not choosing a father (or mother.) You are not electing a pastor. You are not making a moral declaration about whose rhetoric you find most winsome and loving. You are making a contextualized tactical decision about which of the choices in front of you is best for you, your family, and your actual neighbors. You are making a tactical decision about what policy directions are best relative to how God has made the world and how he wants us to live on the ground in this particular time and place. Politics are always contextual and tactical. In other words, they aren't idealistic (at least not until we make much more progress towards the eschaton than we have currently made.) Politics involves complex, objective, and judicious realities with little room for your immediate feelings. They are about practical realities, laws, taxes, and trends that will make life in your neighborhood harder or more manageable in the coming years. Don't make the mistake of thinking that politics is an opportunity to virtue signal. First, stop with the virtue signaling altogether. Second, politics doesn't work like that, no matter what kinds of pressure milquetoast Christians attempt to lay upon you.
It's nice to say that Politics is a civil debate over tertiary methods of governing. But it is, particularly in our day, a war. It's better not to deny that. Instead, recognize the hour we're in and vote tactically. You don't win a war all at once. You fight the battle that's in front of you, and you make decisions about how to take the hill you need to take now in order to take the next hill.
2) Vote for Reality, or for now, towards reality...
The Democratic party has moved increasingly into the realm of denying basic sexual reality, fundamental norms of justice, and unrestricted baby murder. Not enough can be said for how dark things have gotten over there. But add to these social evils the economic stupidity that makes it increasingly difficult to own a home, raise kids in the city, and keep or get a job, and it should be very clear that Christians cannot vote for Democratic nominees or policies. Some will, for reasons that are simply foolish. But a society can't function when basic reality is actively denied, and policies are built on this denial. It will collapse. Voting in support of such candidates and policies is hardly loving to one's family and neighbors. Other Christians will refuse to vote because they find Donald Trump distasteful or inadequately pro-life. I mean, he is inadequately anti-abortion. They see voting for a candidate who doesn't meet their standards of decency as morally staining. I think this is usually more about virtue signaling than moral purity. Your vote doesn't stain you; It is either wise or foolish. It either promotes the good of a nation or doesn't. Do not be emotionally manipulated into voting for foolish and destructive policies and candidates.
3) Sermons on politics are generally bad...
Ministers will attempt to explain that how one votes is unimportant and that there is room for disagreement over the Right and the Left somehow related to our "Unity in Christ" (All Rise and Solemnly Nod... dutifully). I've listened to more political sermons from churches in our city over the past few weeks than I should've. I wanted to hear how theologically conservative pastors addressed this cultural moment. Almost all of them preached primarily about avoiding divisiveness, how both sides are evil, and how Christians must transcend partisanship.
Interestingly, nobody has preached like this in past centuries. This isn't how elections were addressed nor how the political implications of the Lordship of Jesus were taught. Political decisions are not morally or religiously neutral. They carry enormous weight and are one of the most basic ways we love our children and grandchildren and express our loyalty to Jesus. Yes, Christ is on his throne no matter who wins next week - but this is all the more reason to vote for a civil magistrate who moves us closer as a people to acknowledging that confession rather than away from it.
4) Vote Toward the End of Abortion...
The greatest moral injustice of our time is abortion. Millions of children are torn limb from limb, chemically murdered, or vacuumed out of the womb annually. The ministry given by God to the governing authorities is primarily that of justice - defending the innocent, punishing evildoers, and promoting the good. The protection, promotion, and financing of abortions by any government is an unconscionable evil. In Colorado, Amendment 79 is on the ballot, which would guarantee unrestricted access to abortion (through 9 months) and support the use of public funds to pay for abortion. It is a devastating commentary on the moral bankruptcy of our state legislators that this has made it onto a ballot. It is a horror that it could pass. A Christian must vote against this amendment.
Neither presidential candidate is anti-abortion. But Harris supports enshrining a right to abortion, with no limits, into law. Trump and Vance allow us to continue to fight against this great evil at the state level and give us a chance to win nationally in the future. Tactical decisions are the game of politics. We must put an end to the murder of children, and we should think wisely about how to do this in the coming years.
Jesus is Lord of the Nations, including this one. That means he is Lord of your vote, family, neighborhood, and city. May He save us from the catastrophic folly and evil currently on full-court press on the political Left and from the slow compromise with evil historically tolerated by the political Right. May we Christians vote for our families, our actual neighbors, and in sight of our Lord during this election.