I am not claiming to be an expert in these matters, however, as a lifelong voter in Chicago and the state of Illinois, I have learned a thing or two about terrible choices when it comes to elections.
There have been elections I felt slightly better about. Those would be exceptions to the rule. More often I dread my trip to my neighborhood polling place. My best option is often to cast a vote that might, just might, move the mud around in a way that challenges the status quo. At least that’s what I tell myself.
This election highlights our social decay and cultural rot. This election serves up exactly what we deserve. Pulpits across our country have gone soft and silent on the injustices of the day, substituting the American Dream for the gospel of Christ. We do not tolerate prophets today. We are not very salty and we seemingly have not “let our little light shine.”
We are in the middle of a crisis we helped create. I read a fascinating perspective that sums up the choices before us: Imagine that in front of you are two doors. You must choose a door. Behind door number one, there’s a man-eating lion. Behind door number two may be a man-eating lion. But you still have to choose a door.
We must vote. Bad choices do not let us opt out. The blood of every soldier in every battle under the red, white, and blue, cries out. Too many people have sacrificed too much to preserve our right to go to the polls for us to say, ‘‘I’m staying home.”
In the spirit of transparency, I’ll say yes, I have written in the names of candidates. That was many years ago. Maybe I was more stubborn then, maybe I was more arrogant. I don’t know. Now, I want to cast a ballot that counts in the real contest.
We must remember the stewardship of the ballot. Managing this sacred trust as a believer must be done with Scripture, prayer, and reverence. I turn to Scripture for guidance in such matters. There is no direct parallel for the presidential election of 2016, but there are some principles to guide me:
Joseph didn’t get to vote. He didn’t just serve Pharaoh, he served Pharaoh with a great attitude. He didn’t go on Facebook and rant about Pharaoh’s unsuitability, moral failures, or bloodletting. He knew God placed him right where he found himself, be it a prison cell or Pharaoh’s palace.
Moses’ parents returned him to Pharaoh’s house to be raised and educated. Moses didn’t get a vote. Moses served Pharaoh, the king who was enslaving his own people.
Nebuchadnezzar would make us happy to have either Clinton or Trump. Talk about hubris and arrogance! Daniel didn’t get a vote. He had no say. Daniel served the king, and yes, with a great attitude. He understood he was where God wanted him, doing what God desired.
Oh, then there’s Ahasuerus, a king typical in the ancient world, who withheld from himself no vice or whim, who wielded power out of an unfettered, depraved ego. Esther had no vote. Shall we say euphemistically, Esther served and she did so with a great attitude.
I recently visited with a missionary serving churches in the former Soviet Union. He lovingly laughed at what he hears overseas of our consternation over the Trump/Clinton choice. He grew up under communism in the USSR. He is now navigating the reality of the new Russian legal restrictions on evangelism. Yes, he laughed at us, saying in his thick Russian accent, “You Americans need to remember, God is in control.”
My friend is right. God owns the world (Psalm 24:1). God rules the world (Psalm 103:19). God manages the world (Daniel 5:21-23). God works through rulers he chooses (Romans 13:1-7).
Whatever the outcome on November 8, God gets done what God wants done, whether through Darius or Cyrus; Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, or Ahasuerus; Caesar Augustus, or the murderous Herod. God is in control.
Charles Lyons is pastor of Armitage Baptist Church in Chicago.