Oh, it's political season again. Time to anger everyone, or at least time to try.
It has been around 3 years, I believe, since I came to the realization that it might not be the Christian's role to vote (At least not in state level or national elections). As usual, I'm still considering this, and who knows, maybe by the time Jesus returns or takes me home, I'll have figured it out.
For now, something that has me thinking is Jeremiah chapter 29, as well as the book of Daniel. In Jeremiah 29 we see a command that Daniel would seek to live out.
4“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Now, we have to consider that this is not written to Christians, but to Jews in exile in Babylon. (Also, verse 11 isn't about you.) Because of that, we can't really take this as a command to us, but we can see the principle behind it, and perhaps apply that.
If we take the principle that God's chosen people in exile are supposed to seek for the welfare of the city in which God has put us, then we must ask some questions. What does it mean to seek the welfare of the city? And, how might this apply on a state or national level? I think primarily the application is that Christians seek to proclaim the Good News that there is a Greater King, who rules and reigns above all nations, and that He died in the place of His chosen people that they might have forgiveness of their sins. Secondly, we have a ministry in our vocation. That is, working to make a living and generally being good citizens and neighbors to those around us.
A third way is our prophetic voice to the nations. Christians should know what is best for a nation, as we have God's commands and expectations for the nations in the bible.
The question I'm pondering is what does our prophetic role to the nation look like?
I don't have the answer to that one yet, but I'll leave some questions to ponder.
Is it in proclaiming the need for repentance of specific sins on a national level as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did?
Is it in being a spiritual guide to the President of the nation as Billy Graham was a times?
Is it in proclaiming across Twitter and Facebook our love and adoration for Dr. Ron Paul and disdain of President Obama?
Is it in merely casting a vote and walking away?
True
