Hope Beyond the Vote

We are just days away from our election and while there are many local public offices on the ballot, our presidential election has the greatest repercussions both domestically and internationally. On November 3, or whenever all the votes are finally tallied, we will have chosen the man who will lead our nation for the next four years. No matter who is elected, there will undoubtably be allegations of voting impropriety and supporters of either candidate (or the candidates themselves) claiming victory for their side. Our country has dealt with close elections in the past – can anyone forget the hanging chads from the 2000 election? The Supreme Court had to step in and ultimately declared George Bush as the winner despite Al Gore garnering the majority of the popular vote. It’s not hard to conceive that the 2020 election could require another judicial declaration to establish the winner. But in the last twenty years our society has become more divided and less inhibited in expressing their anger and frustration in destructive ways. The nagging question in our collective conscience is how will the more radical elements of either side respond to a disputed loss? It looks like we are on a collision course that threatens to further rend our country and undermine one of the foundational pillars of our democratic society. How will you feel if your candidate wins? How will you feel if he loses? How much does the outcome determine your hope for our country?

Paul asked the Galatian Christian, ‘who has bewitched you?’ when they began trusting in their ability to keep the law as a means of sanctification rather than living by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:1-3). This same question echoes down to Christians today that have come under the hypnotic spell cast on us by the endless news feeds and ominous rhetoric of impending national disaster if the wrong candidate sits in the Oval Office.  Who has bewitched us to tether our hope in a man, a platform, or a political party?

Like cold water thrown on the face of an inebriated man needing to sober up, let’s allow this psalm to jar us awake and reconnect us to the anchor of our souls.

Psalm 146:3-10
³ Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
⁶ who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
⁷  who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
⁸  the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

The inspired writer compels us to shift our source of hope from finite human leaders whose plans will ultimately perish to the Creator who is eternally faithful to accomplish His platform of salvation, justice, compassion, deliverance, healing, and care for sojourners/immigrants and broken families. That is not to say that the election is unimportant or doesn’t have any significance. But the reality is that there is no ultimate peace if our peace is tied to the short-lived term of a flawed human being. While God can use our civic leaders to advance these things, His primary instrument has always been His people. No matter who is in office, Christians can still make a difference in bringing God’s righteous plans to fruition. So, my heartfelt invitation is to vote for a man and trust in the eternal King who reigns forever and you will still be overflowing with hope no matter who wins the election.