November 5

Day 236: Through the Lens of our Faith

The anticipation and euphoria (or angst) of Election Day is over. Now it's a waiting game. It will be days longer, but hopefully nothing like the Bush/Gore month-long, hangings shads episode some years ago.

I am hesitant to write anything "political." This is no violation of that hesitation. Everybody else seems to take care of that. So many others, convinced we need to hear what they think have told  us (for months) who we should have voted for. And this says nothing of what have been the contents of our mail boxes.

Now, and especially from name pastors, we're being told how to react; how to move forward. Like the rest of us are not capable of figuring that out for ourselves.

While not wanting to add my name to that list, I do want to share the following that Paul wrote to the Colossian church. I think it's instructive for me, and for all of us.

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving...Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best us of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

This, of course, pertains to our Christian witness. But I think it also applies to how we interact with other people, in the church and outside the church, on the heels of this election cycle. Because it is a part of our witness.

This raises for me some questions. Can we all separate our faith from our politics? If our candidate/s lost, can we be gracious in defeat? Can we not gloat if our candidate/s were victorious?

Can we be willing to consider how much time we gave to election returns on Tuesday night, in light of how much time we give to prayer and reading God's Word?

It really boils down to what we ultimately believe to be our source of hope. Is the elected official, or the dominant party our hope? (Hope not!) Or is the Ultimate King who reigns from the Ultimate Throne our true hope?

Let's be honest. We all know the right answers. You don't need me or anyone else to browbeat you. But at least hear this - our reactions, today, to the election results will be part and parcel to our witness.

Unsaved people will not make the distinction when they see/hear/read what we do about the election. They won't. They already assume we lump America and the Kingdom of God into the same lump. And they don't yet relate to the Kingdom of God.

Our Americanism is hurting our witness. Our perceived lack of hope and optimism hurts our witness. We have to be different.

We need wisdom to know how to function around unsaved people. We need to choose every word, even every attitude and viewpoint carefully. Because they will assume just the opposite from us.

Because how we communicate our political views cannot be separated from our faith in the eyes of some. So we might as well communicate our political views through the lens of our faith.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church Juneau