Friday, November 7, 2008

POST-ELECTION

Five days ago, as I was watching election returns - and just seconds after the newscast declared Barack Obama the President-Elect, I posted some thoughts here about our Biblical duty to pray for those in leadership over us. I still believe that. We should pray for Mr. Obama and the new administration.

As I was doing some reading, I ran across some other thoughts that also resonated with me. They are not all my own words but I am in agreement with them ... so I thought I would share a portion of them here with you - along with some of my own commentary:

'In my years of pastoral ministry I have worked very hard to not be political. I believe my job as a pastor is to preach and teach the Bible well so people make their decisions, including their voting decisions, out of their faith convictions.'

It seems evident that people are longing for a savior who will atone for their sins. In this past election, they were thirsting for someone who would atone for their economic sins of buying things they did not need with money they did not have. The result is a mountain of credit debt they cannot pay and a desperate yearning that somehow a new president will save them from economic hell.

People are longing for a king who will keep them safe from terror in his kingdom. In the Old Testament, the concept of a peaceable kingdom is marked by the word
shalom. In shalom, there is not only the absence of sin, war, strife, and suffering but also the presence of love, peace, harmony, and health. This thirst for shalom is so parched that every election, people cannot help but naively believe if their candidate simply wins, shalom is sure to come, despite sin and the curse.

The bottom line is obvious to those with Gospel eyes. People are longing for Jesus, and tragically left voting for mere presidential candidates. For those whose candidate won last week, there will be some period of euphoric faith in that candidate and the salvation his 'kingdom' will bring. But, in time, their supporters will see that no matter who wins the presidency, they are mere mortals prone to sin, folly, and self-interest just like all the other sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. The lie will be that it is always someone else’s fault and we’re always the victim of sinners and never the sinner.

There will be no call to repentance of our own sins which contribute to cultural suffering and decline such as our pride, gluttony, covetousness, greed, indebtedness, self-righteousness, perversion, and laziness. And in four years. we’ll do it all again and pretend that this time things will be different. Four years after that, yet again. And, we’ll continue driving around this cul de sac until Jesus returns, sets up His throne, and puts an end to folly once and for all.'

Until then - we have to preach the Gospel of Christ and repentance of personal sin. Only HE can truly atone for them. Only HE can truly deliver us. Only HE has a Shalom Kindgom to offer us.

So, we’ve still got work to do … until we see King Jesus face-to-face and voting is done once and for all.

And be blessed.

2 comments:

LA Nickers said...

Did you ever get a message from God that was so clear that you absolutely had to drop everything and put the words on paper as fast as you could? OF COURSE you have.

See what I just got:

http://nickersandinkblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/looking-through-historys-gates.html

Dr Phil said...

I couldn't agree more. In the business world in which I currently find myself, there are tears of joy every day hopeful that things will be better. Some see through the facade of false hope, but many don't. I am a voice explaining that only in God will we find peace. Maybe some will hear.