This Tuesday, we will go to the polls and elect people to serve in the House of
Representatives and the Senate. Perhaps
I shouldn’t say “we,” because in the 2016 elections only 58% of eligible voters
actually participated in the elections.[i] That means that if a candidate gets elected
with 51% of the vote, by 58% of the eligible voters, that candidate’s election
only represents the desire of roughly a quarter of Americans who are eligible
to vote. To say that our system is flawed
is an understatement—but it’s the best system we have. I understand that it’s boring to talk about
elections, and boring to pay attention to politics. That’s why so few people do. Recently, I read:
A
lady who was known as Churchill's main rival in parliament was giving a speech.
Churchill, with his usual enthusiasm for his rival, dozed off while the lady
was speaking. She stopped her speech and awoke Sir Winston by yelling,
"Mr. Churchill, must you sleep while I talk?" Churchill sleepily
replied, "No, ma'am. I do so purely by choice."
This seems to reflect the attitudes of many, when it
comes to politics. But boring or not,
how we vote is important. With the
title of this article, you might be wondering what I mean, when I ask the
question, “Who’s side are you on?” You
see, I wouldn’t dream of trying to influence the way you vote in this
particular election—but I would be bold enough to try to influence the way you
vote, in general. I'm not talking about voting Republican
or Democrat or Libertarian or otherwise—but voting ethically, based on the
virtues you learn in the Bible. The Book
of Proverbs has a lot to say about government.
Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness
exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.”[ii] When we vote, we shouldn’t be on the side of
a particular candidate or specific party—but on the side of righteousness. Keep that in mind, and look for righteousness
in a candidate, and you can’t go wrong.
Proverbs gives several examples of what a leader
shouldn’t be. Proverbs 17:7 says, “Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless
fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!” In other words, dishonesty ought to be the
first thing to disqualify a candidate. Proverbs
28:3, 15 says, “A ruler who oppresses the
poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops…Like a roaring lion or a
charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.” A ruler shouldn’t disregard the needs of the
poor. When you’re looking for a good
candidate, see how he or she treats the weakest people, and how their policies
affect those who cannot stand up for themselves. Proverbs 28:21 says, “To show partiality is not good— yet a person will do wrong for a piece
of bread.” This means that it’s a
bad ruler who makes policies that benefit their own bank account. Instead of showing partiality based on their
own special interests, they should do what’s right and just. Unfortunately, J. O’Rourke was right in
saying, “When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first
things to be bought and sold are legislators.”
It’s been said that once a little girl asked her father, "Daddy,
do all fairy tales begin with 'Once upon a time'? "No, sweetheart,"
he answered. "Some begin with 'If I am elected.'"[iii] We need to make sure that the goodness of a
candidate is the real deal, and that they’re not just telling us a story to get
chosen for office. James Freeman Clarke
reminds us, “A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of
the next generation.” If you ever see a
statesman or stateswoman running for office, instead of a politician—vote for
them, because we need more people like that!
Proverbs gives us some examples of what an ideal leader ought to
be like. 16:12 says, “Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is
established through righteousness.”
Pick a person who doesn’t just say the right things, but who lives the
right kind of life. Proverbs 20:28 goes
beyond righteousness and adds a deeper quality: “Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is
made secure.” If you vote for a
politican who’s unloving and unfaithful, you voted for the wrong person! Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of
all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor
and needy.” Our votes ought to
support the kinds of public servants who will do just that.
We like to blame the sad state of affairs in American
politics on those who run the country.
Unfortunately, we can’t do this, because we forget that our leaders were
elected by the people. All too often, we
go to the polls uninformed about the candidates, the parties, or the
issues. Winston Churchill said, “The
best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average
voter.” What an indictment—but it’s
true! If we voters made it impossible
for crooked politicians to get into office, all we’d have running our country
would be people of integrity.
Unfortunately, we’re willing to vote for anybody who will serve our
special interests, regardless of the kind of character the candidates
have. Orson Scott Card once said, “If
pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every
time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side.” In other words, whoever offers you a little
something is who you’re likely to vote for—but Christians ought to be better
than that! We should be first to make
sure that we’re voting for people of virtue and truthfulness—and if our parties won’t field candidates who represent
these traits then we need to either replace those people in our parties who
choose candidates, or we need to consider changing parties.
When I ask the question, “Who’s
side are you on?” it’s certainly not my intention to get you to choose one
party over another—because maybe each party makes a good point about this issue
or that. But I’d hope you’re on the side
of the weakest and most vulnerable, the people who can’t speak for
themselves. And I hope you’re on God’s
side, insisting on candidates who reflect Christian values. 2 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I
urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and
thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that
we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
I pray you’re on the side of truth, and I pray you’re on the side of
peace.
[i]
What does voter turnout tell us about the 2016 election? Politics Nov 20, 2016 3:03 PM EDT. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/voter-turnout-2016-elections. September 26, 2018.
[ii]
Bible quotations taken from the NIV.
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