Topic 10: Do your politics matter?

Jesus' response to Pontius Pilate when asked "Are you a King?" was, "My kingdom is no part this world."  (John Chapter 18) This was and still is a guiding passage to me. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, I used this Scripture as a young man to make many decisions. Some of those decisions I regret. Many I do not.

When Jesus advised his followers to be no part of the world, I took that quite literally. I decided not to attend college after high school because putting too much emphasis on a secular career seemed to me to be 'loving the things in this world' too much. I was convinced that a normal job at one of the retail establishments around town, or one of the many restaurants or perhaps getting into my own business would be sufficient enough to take care of myself and my family if Iwas to have one. I could learn to be content with my employment and I didn't need college to do the things I needed to do. Doing God's will was infinitely more important. And besides, I looked at all the college graduates in the world that were working at McDonald's, or worse, had no job at all. That thinking was reasonable to me, and still is. I'm doing okay for someone who didn't attend college. Sure, I may be doing better had I attended college, but I am making more money than many of the college graduates that work with me.

I also applied jesus' admonition to my politics. Participating in elections to me signified that I was aligning myself to this world, and therefore undermined the faith I claimed to have in God; and instead transferred that faith to whomever I was choosing to vote for, or whatever political party I might join.

I still feel that way to a certain extent.

God promises us many things, including the things, including the thing most of us pray for though we may not realize exactly what we're asking for. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." If this is something we really want, what are we saying when we cast a ballot for a President?

A lot of folks that do vote say that their one vote doesn't matter. Indeed, it must be disheartening when a whole nation casts more ballots for one person but a different person wins. I don't know whether to agree or disagree with that statement because I really don't have a full understanding of the whole electoral process. But I do know that we should be careful where we place our loyalties, and in whom we invest our confidence.

My feelings on politics are ever changing. I've never voted before, but I am a registered voter. Although the religion I grew up in really sets the tone for my voting habits, or lack thereof, I would not put it past myself to vote on a bond issue, or a local fund appropriations issue, etc. Those things to me do not undermine my faith, but rather shows an interest in the betterment of my community, which is tangible. I drive on the roads, pay taxes on them, but have never had a say in their upkeep. That's sort of weird to me now. And in my opinion, that's different from showing support for one human over another. It's vastly different from blind allegiance to a party that does not always have the people's best interests at heart. And in those types of votes, a person's vote does seem to matter.

So do your politics matter? Seems to me that's an individual decision. And my decision, in the huge red, white and blue elections anyway, is to keep myself out of them.

Jesus would not have touched a national party convention with a ten foot pole.