Idols

11.09.2016

I didn't vote for president of the United States. 

I wasn't planning on announcing that so openly on the blog, but I don't feel like what I say next will have any weight unless you understand that I had no dog in this fight. R and I stood in line for an hour yesterday, and I filled out a ballot, checking boxes to answer important state questions and vote for senators and other offices, but I left the POTUS boxes blank. I know that's not necessarily a popular choice, but after prayerful consideration, I just didn't feel right about supporting either candidate with my vote, so I cast none.

I truly believed that each candidate had flaws (as they all do), and I felt that neither was fit for the job of president for different reasons. Some reasons were policy based and some were about the person, but I won't go into all that here.

It was interesting, then, to watch events unfold last night. Considering the fact that I wanted neither to win, I was surprisingly anxious when results started coming in.

I had heard so much throughout the week from people on both sides about how happy everyone would be to finally have the election over. How we would all move forward together, how we would all still be friends. On the days leading up to the election, so many people said things like, "I don't care who you vote for. Just go vote!"

And then came the results, and to say I was shocked and dismayed is an understatement. Not so much by the actual numbers (although I admit, I thought Hilary would be running away with it), but by the things people were saying. The same people who said we should move forward together were cursing, saying they would never forgive people for how they voted and that anyone who voted for Trump was a racist bigot. The same people who said, "Just vote! It doesn't matter who you vote for! It's your right!" were shaming people for voting on the Libertarian ticket and taking votes away from their candidate in swing states.

Disillusioned. Sick. Scared. Heartbroken.

I'm not saying it doesn't completely suck when your candidate loses. I'm not saying it's not okay to feel sad and even angry and fearful, as many are saying they do. But I think what this election has shown us, maybe more than any other, is that we have made the grave mistake of making America our idol.

The most telling tweets last night weren't the ones with election results but with people saying, "America will fail" like that's some big surprise. American WILL fail in the end. Everything will. And the only thing standing will be the rider on the white horse, who has come back to take his followers home.

You're rolling your eyes. That sounds totally crazy, I know. I also know that so many people are disillusioned by Christianity, the church, and God, maybe even moreso after what happened yesterday. All I can say is that I plead with you seek Jesus.

Humans will fail you.
The government will fail you.
Jesus will not.

He is the one who said love your neighbor as yourself. He said come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest. He said let the children come to me. He said cast all your cares upon him because he cares for you. He said not to be anxious. He said seek and you will find. He said that the kingdom of this earth will pass away but he will never pass away. He said to take care of the orphans, the widows, and the sick. He touched lepers and healed blind men and ate with tax collectors, who, if you aren't up on your ancient history, were some of the most hated people in the land.

And he also said to have no other gods before him.

I don't know the plan or why things happen. I have so many questions about so many things that will probably never be answered this side of heaven. But I believe that he is neither surprised nor confused nor perplexed by the outcome of the election. And I have no idea if this is true, but what if the 2016 presidential race is supposed to teach us that having human idols and making idols of our government is not where we should put our trust. Because clearly that will fail us.

As long as God commands, the sun will still rise (note: at God's command, not the president's!), and we have a choice. We can name call and point fingers and make plans to move to Canada.

Or we can choose love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We can choose hope in a future that doesn't end on earth but continues forever and ever and forever in heaven.

We can choose Jesus.

*Comments turned off. I would love to hear feedback (good or bad) if you have any either via email or social media, but I don't feel like opening my blog comments to random internet trolls and subsequent political debates. That's not the point of this post. I actually feel very nervous to post this, but it's what's on my heart and I don't want fear to keep me from speaking out on this very important issue. I am praying for you, dear friend. Peace.

・ DESIGNED BY ECLAIR DESIGNS