Preserving life or care for the poor? Personal responsibility or aid for America’s impoverished communities? Environmental concern or crime reduction? This year’s election will force voters to make important decisions as to what values they think are most important to our nation. As disciples of Jesus, we must make these decisions based on the values that our Savior taught us. The problem comes, though, in trying to vote for the candidate which best represents God’s Kingdom values. I would argue that both candidates in this year's presidential election will support some Kingdom values while leaving others neglected. As followers of Christ who attempt to be obedient in our choice of a candidate, we find ourselves in the situation of having to order and prioritize which values we see as most important. We find ourselves in the difficult position of choosing which Kingdom values we will work to see implemented and which we are willing to allow to be neglected.
However, as people called into a New Community of Christ in which we live out the Kingdom of God on earth, we can never put ourselves into a position of working towards some Kingdom values at the expense of others. In order to live out the Kingdom that we have been called into, we can never uphold one set of Kingdom values over another. When we support some aspects of God’s Kingdom while neglecting others, we loose our prophetic voice. I am defining the Church’s prophetic voice as the voice declaring God’s rule which is to be lived out in our context and which is spoken through God’s people. God’s Kingdom is not a political platform which changes based on the current situation but is the timeless call for God’s will to be done on our earth. In voting, the Church looses its prophetic voice by failing to express the fullness of God’s concern for all people. Casting a vote for a candidate inevitably means advocating social justice for some while oppressing others. Therefore, voting prevents Christians from maintaining the prophetic witness we are to have in the world as well as preventing us from maintaining the fullness of Kingdom values.
Casting a vote for a candidate is a sign of allegiance to that candidate and what they stand for. Therefore, as a follower of Christ, the witness that we have in the world for Christ is compromised unless that candidate encompasses all of the values of the Kingdom of God. To cast a vote for a candidate means allowing your voice to be heard through that candidate - letting the candidate speak for you. As long as we allow candidates to speak for us we will be unable to maintain our prophetic voice.
Through abstaining from voting I am not calling for followers of Christ to abstain from society, the world, or politics. I am not calling for a withdraw from the world but for a better way of engagement, one that will allow us to advocate for all of God’s values instead of merely allowing us to play our individual part within the culture wars. Christians should abstain from voting because direct action in the world is a far better and consistent method of engagement with the world than voting. We cannot continue to expect politicians to do the Kingdom work which Christ has called His Church to do. If you sense God’s concern for the poor, I challenge you to look for ways in which you can engage the poor in our community. If you want to work for the reduction of abortion in our country, volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center and share in the pain of these mothers. Instead of debating over which presidential candidate is godlier, Christians must unite in action and do the work which God has called us to do.
The Kingdom values of Christians need to be lived out in every aspect of our lives instead of just by casting a ballot. If you have no intention of actively getting involved in any of the issues that are important to you in choosing a candidate, then I encourage you to vote. The little that is accomplished through voting is better than no action at all. However, if you passionately seek to live out the values of the Kingdom of God and work to see God’s will done on earth, I encourage to you vote with your entire life and not just with a ballot every four years.
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9 comments:
Hi Nicholas, great post.
Personally, I don't think of voting as 1.) allying myself with a candidate's platform as if it were gospel nor 2.) purposefully neglecting certain kingdom values to uphold others. Divine Command Theorists may argue that those are our only choices - and I can respect that. But I disagree.
When it comes to cultural engagement, I was thrilled to read your suggestions. However, the injustices that remain unaddressed by individualistic social action are systemic in nature. Legislation (and hence, elected officials) can impact societal issues in ways that acts of charity cannot; though it's certainly NOT an either/or.
I tend to agree with Jeff in that I don't think that voting for a candidate is a wholesale comment to his platform. Rather I view it as a choice between to possiblities, one of which will occur. I also agree that there is alot of things churches cannot do and governments can and have historically done to better socities just as they have also made them worse. I think we should have a voice and a role to play in that but it should certainly as Nicholas said go far beyond casting a ballot.
great post.
And I agree with most of what was said. Hear me say that the church should be given to and known for good works such as caring for the poor. Instead Evangelicals are thought of as being wild-eyed fanatics who rail against homosexuals and shoot abortion doctors, when we should be known for our love and good deeds in the community. So I heartily agree with you there.
However, I want to caution that the improvement of society should not be the end in itself. Rather, we ought to be engaged in societal issues and charity for the purpose of sharing the Gospel. The needs of society are not primarily physical, economical or political, but spiritual. "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." My own theological stance is that the Kingdom of God is notpresently on this earth, in the Church or otherwise. Christ Himself will set up that kingdom when He returns bodily to the earth. God does not want to save the world--this world is already condemned. God wants to save people out of the world. And He want to use the Church to do so.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. =)
Thank you all for reading this post and for your interaction with it. I genuinely appreciate your comments and have been challenged by them.
At the heart of this issue for me is the Church's approval of a candidate. While Christians may disagree greatly with whomever they choose (the lesser of two evils), I still believe that they are then responsible for that person's actions while in office. Our endorsement of a candidate in November will be an endorsement for the next 4 years no matter how much we may disagree with that person while in office.
I believe that in as much as a candidate mis-represents the Kingdom of God, we mis-represent the Kingdom in being responsible for putting that person in office.
I know that this may seem to be putting too much importance on simply checking a box every few years but I would encourage us to remember that we witness through everything that we say and do and this includes our voting.
Thank you especially Ryan for your comment regarding the Kingdom. I in no way meant to suggest that we must attempt to build the Kingdom of God here on earth now. I do however believe that we are citizens of that Kingdom and therefore our actions must reflect our true citizenship.
What would God want with the cattle on a thousand hills? Why do the flowers surpass Solomon's splendor?
Nick and Ryan, it's nice to meet you (online, anyway). I had yet to encounter folks who believe the Kingdom is only eschatological.
I'd like to read more from you, Ryan, about why you think the creation (that God seems to delight in and claim ownership of) is destined only for condemnation rather than the liberation described in Romans 8:19.
As Nick wrote in his post, it seems that the apodictic Kingdom ethic obligates us to live out Kingdom values now. Are you guys saying that Kingdom values include only "spiritual" matters?
Thanks for representing!
i decided i am going to vote after feeling like i wasn't sure about it but i feel like with my vote will necessarily come a barrage of letters to my legislators saying that I put them in office and YET i disagree with, say their lack of respect for life.
good on you, nick. :)
I think that voting in a election, national or local, is seperate matter from our connection and responsibility to the kingdom. It should be the church's responsibility, or should I say MY responsibility, to care for the poor and other social needs, as well as spread the Good News with its power to change inner lives. One of the issues with the modern church is they have relinquished it to the government. The governments role is to set laws in place for us to live our lives within there constraints. These laws should be consistent with the Word of God. Our (my) responsibility in this form of government is to elect those who, in an imperfect world, most consistently align with God's Word. If I do not vote, someone else will do the deciding and they will decide if they want the future government leaders to make laws consistent with the Word or contrary to it.
One of the strongest reasons for Christians to abstain from the electoral process was not mentioned in Nicholas' posting. I refer to the connection between the political system and war.
"The primary reason why a Christian should not exercise their right to vote is this : their witness against Christian participation in war. The logic is simple. Abstaining from the political process is the only consistent position for a conscientious objector to war. Conscientious objection to war is the only consistent position for a disciple of Jesus. Ergo, the only consistent position for a Christian is to abstain from the political process." (quote from the book 'Blood Guilt: Christian Responses to America's War on Terror,' New Covenant Press, 2011, pg. 277. See http://covenant.nu )
There's an excellent chapter in this book (Chapter 18) that explains why Christians should not vote.
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