by REBECCA STEVENS
Jesus [said], “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25 (NIV)
It’s finally over. The last vote has been cast. The polls have all closed. The victors and the losers have been announced. And, thankfully, the last negative campaign ad is no longer being aired for the 10,000th time. So, now it is time to hold a trembling finger on the pulse of our beloved nation.
Did your candidates win or lose? Were you cheering or crying on election night? Was anyone in your circle of friends on the “other side?” If so, did you offer kind congratulations to those who were smiling or express sincere sympathy to those who were experiencing deep disappointment the morning after?
It is my hope that if we learned anything at all in this agonizingly long and bitter election cycle, it was that we are a deeply divided and polarized nation. Just one look at the key text for this reflection should concern us far more than whether any particular candidate delivers on the campaign promises that either won or lost them our votes. So, with that in mind, let’s ask ourselves some really tough questions.
- Did the candidates I supported seem to produce the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? By the way, our Lord reminded us in Matthew 7:16 that “by their fruit you will recognize them.” Ouch!
- Were the candidates I supported not afraid to speak hard and often unpopular truth…truth that aligns itself with the written Word of God found in Scripture as well as the Living Word of God that is revealed to us in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ? Just sayin’.
- Did the candidates I supported spend far too much money on their campaigns…money that could have been put to far better use, oh say, like feeding the hungry or clothing the naked? Gut-wrenching sigh.
So, can we all agree that no candidate is perfect and that they all have feet of clay just like the rest of us? Can we learn to tolerate the opinions of others more and to try to shout down any opposing opinions less? Can we learn to trust that others put as much time and effort into thoughtfully developing their opinions as we did our own? In short, can we learn to work together and to get along more harmoniously in order to establish “a more perfect union?”
And, next time around, can we try to apply the three measuring sticks that I’ve outlined above to evaluate all candidates carefully and thoroughly and then cast our votes for the men and women that we think best exemplify those ideals regardless of race, gender or party affiliation? Will we ever find perfect candidates? Of course not, because none of us are perfect. But, if we put forth real effort into trying to evaluate each candidate’s fitness to hold office, will our nation continue to be the greatest experiment in democracy that the world has ever known? I believe that the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.”
So, now that the voice of the people has spoken, can we let go of our differences and remember that enduring peace and unity will only begin in each of our own hearts? I would surely like to think that if our Lord can willingly lay down His life to bring us back into fellowship with our holy and righteous Father, we can each lay down our selfish and sinful need to always prove ourselves right. It surely won’t be easy, but nothing of true and lasting value is ever easy, is it?
