Note: This is a reprint from June 2024 – some items may be obsolete.
People of Hope:
If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself inundated with information regarding the upcoming election season in Arizona and our nation. Information on mail-in ballots has been mailed to homes, political signage is up in force, and much of our local and national news has dedicated a significant portion of their resources into covering the political landscape as we encounter it in 2024.
To say that this is a stressful time for many of us is a bit of an understatement. It seems every political advertisement I see on social media or TV is dedicated to reminding us that the very fate of civilization is resting upon the results of this election. I’m sure our news media like to promote that viewpoint as well, so that there are more eyes for news broadcasts and online articles, leading to ad revenue. The truth of the matter is, this election (like most) does have far-reaching impacts on the shape of our state, nation, and world moving forward.
And honestly, it doesn’t seem to matter who your preferred candidate is – if your candidate is elected, things will be OK – or maybe even better than ever. If your preferred candidate loses, well, if you believe what they say (always a little risky when it comes to politicians), the world as we know it could come to an end. It all gets a little confusing, doesn’t it? And our media are often more interested in stirring up conflict and drama rather than sorting through what’s really real and what isn’t. It’s hard to get to the truth underneath things when we’re all constantly surrounded by spin, half-truths, and outright lies. Sometimes we may want to throw up our hands and ignore the whole thing. But because elections do have consequences, as people of faith, our vocation as citizens in this nation requires that we pay attention.
I’m not saying that we need to be watching the news 24/7 to absorb every bit of information, or that we need to research all the candidates on every single position, but – hopefully without risking our health or sanity too much – we do have a God-given call to use our reasoning to work through who we think will be the right people to place in positions of trust in all levels of our government. And frankly, most of us will probably be OK regardless of who is elected in 2024. But not everybody will, and that is where our vocational call becomes especially important. Because the votes we take aren’t just votes for us, they are votes for others as well. When we vote, we give power (in this world) to those we vote into office, and we have a responsibility to ensure that that power is used in equitable ways for the good of all. As citizens in this world, we are citizens not just for our own sake, but for the sake of our neighbor, who may not be as blessed as we are.
That means as we examine candidates for public office this year and every year, we are challenged to ask important questions: “How will this candidate’s stances and policies affect the least and lowly among us?” “How has this candidate’s past actions benefited or harmed those who have less power in our world?” “Which policies will most realistically have a positive impact on my neighbor?” These aren’t necessarily easy questions to answer, and well-meaning people can disagree on how these things are best accomplished. But the call to live faithfully in this season (and every season) is a call to live in service toward our neighbor, and to seek God’s kingdom in such a way that all may receive the daily bread that comes from being a community together.
If you’re interested in pondering this question more deeply, I encourage you to explore the ELCA Draft Social Statement on Civic Life and Faith. I’m hoping to delve into it more deeply this summer as I, too, work through how best I can serve my neighbor through my vocation as a citizen of this country. If you’re not sure you agree with it, there are opportunities to offer feedback through September. May God bless your ponderings, and may you seek to serve your neighbor in all that you do.
Pastor Chris