“Oh no! Not again!” Was this your response to the news of the election? Voter fatigue, suspicion of the motives behind the election, or fear for the future of our country has led many people to feel fed up with politics.
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16
As a Christian people we believe that not only has our world and those who live in it been made by God, but the systems and structures that hold us together are part of God’s purpose too. We are made to live in community, community that is ordered, structured and works for the good of all. To turn our backs on the processes that establish the Government of our society, or to recoil from the opportunity to remind all of those involved of the messages and priorities of God’s Kingdom, is to abandon a key element of our identity as a Gospel people.
This election may lead us into unfamiliar territory where established attitudes, narratives and priorities might feel out of place. Rather than causing us to back away from the challenge, it presents new opportunities for a people of God to explore the priorities and values of our faith, and how these can be pursued and articulated within the election debate.
This is a time for God’s people to pray for wisdom, to seek God’s purpose and to proclaim God’s truth, to seek the Spirit’s help to live and speak with courage and clarity. How can we use our vote well? How should we use our influence for good? How can we remind everyone involved and affected by this election that there is a higher authority in our world than any earthly ruler?
