Reconciling faith and democracy

Now that the election is over, I hope that you are as excited as I am about enjoying a moment of peace from the circus of American politics.

I am glad that my airways are now freed up for the refreshing commercials of Rocky-like Clydesdales with dreams of pulling wagons and sales pitches from clever geckos. If only our mind-numbing political ads possessed as much depth of thought and honesty!

Many will claim that Obama’s election will bring about the revitalization of America, while others are certain that America’s imminent downfall looms. I’m here to humbly deliver the sad news of truth to America: your elected officials will deliver no more brilliant or disastrous decisions than you concocted when you nominated them. While we may wish to claim otherwise, we are all part of a system that limited our selection to a few individuals who possessed money, name recognition and an adequate ability to dodge truth.

Christianity still struggles with an explanation of the relationship between a Christian and his or her democratic government. In the Old Testament, the government and the nation’s religion were completely intertwined. In the New Testament, the government was viewed as the enemy of Christians (in Revelation 1:9, John was writing from the Roman-controlled prison-island of Patmos), while also serving a divine role of preserving order: “There is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1, NASB).

Modern Christians face an odd relationship with their government that is seen as being founded on Christian principles (“In God we trust”), but separated from the church. Whether a Christian is a Republican or Democrat, there is little opportunity to shout victoriously about the noble character of the men and women whom we elect. Some Christians, in exasperation, decline to vote; they believe that no good can be accomplished by participation. We can only elect the lesser of a pair of evils (dozens of other candidates are written off as unelectable). Let’s not forget, though, that the people we elect are reflections of our own humanity. Distancing ourselves from a responsibility to be part of a government that bestows that responsibility upon us can hardly be considered an act of faith.

The best that an individual Christian can do is to speak out before the election in support of moral truths and, after the election, support the winner. Some Christians may object to supporting a winner who shares little in common with their understanding of faith. As an act of conscience, there are issues on which I cannot compromise with the winner, though in America, those issues are few. While I have a strong revulsion to ending the life of an unborn person for the all-too-common reason of American inconvenience, no one will force my wife or friends to participate in an abortion. I will continue to be able to speak out for what I believe, which means that hope remains.

Before I begin to express my outrage over poor economic decisions and foreign policy gaffs, I will need to wrestle with Paul’s admonition that “Whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God” (Romans 13:2). Perhaps, it would be wise to also consider that this government relies upon the American people to help determine its success.

I don’t like the idea of government taking my money and deciding how to spread it around, but the apostle Paul challenges me to struggle with the concept that, “You also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God” (Romans 13:6). I wonder, “In what way are rulers God’s servants?” Not many rulers match God’s example of servant-hood, but somehow, the Creator uses our rulers in His plan. I predict that Obama will share little in common with either the abasement of Napoleon or the mythical purity of George Washington, but any success that he experiences will require our support.

By stamping “We the people” on our founding documents, we forever committed ourselves to lending our support as far as our abilities and faith allow.