To the Christian Voter

A few days ago I was eviscerated by an individual whom I once held in high regard. 

Backstory:  My spouse has a very strong sense of moral justice.  He’s someone who believes one should simply do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.  Sometimes, I get tired of being his sound board and thus suggested he go write a blog.  He’s very active in social media and a question I posed to him in private soon found its way to social media.  That’s not the important part, just the back story.

It was a question about POTUS and why he seems to generate unrelenting hatred in many.  I quite admire him as a speaker and I believe he’s a man who (despite all the oppositions and mistakes) did the best job he could.  He’s not perfect.  No one is.  As my seven year informed me only God never makes mistakes.

This simple query of mine generated an unnecessary flurry filled with fire and brimstone where POTUS was attacked for his “blatant disregard for God’s law.”  That is not what I asked of my spouse and that is certainly not the conversation he had intended to start. 

Recently there has been a lot of horrific events that have been reported by the media.  There have been presidential candidates in the midst of this hailstorm of hatred who have done very little to help this situation.  There is a divide in this nation that is supposed to be indivisible.  The last time we were divided it ended in a lot of bloodshed but maybe that’s an over simplification of a momentous point in this country’s history. 

Needless to say, I am concerned because this is my home.  I am concerned because human lives are at stake.  I have heard from supporters and haters of both party and those who refuse to stop feeling the Bern.  Throw into this mixture the conservative Christians and whoever else that wants to join the fray. 

Disclaimer:  This is not a political or religious rhetoric.  I’m not offering you my faith for justification because I only need Christ’s justification. 

I take my right to vote seriously.  I exercise it to the best of my understanding because as a citizen of this nation I have a responsibility to cast my vote for the individual who will best serve the public.  I am not a registered voter for a specific party because I don’t wish to find myself where many Republicans are, standing behind a candidate that is far removed from the Republican agenda. 

The Democratic candidate’s stands on many things are vastly different from mine.  I am pro-life but I will not condemn someone who is pro-choice.  LGBT issue is a can of worm I do not wish to open but as a lifestyle it is not one I choose for religious reasons.  Yet, who am I to stand in the way of an LGBT couple or family from having the same quality of life as their heterosexual counterparts?

The politicians are not here to serve the Christian agenda.  They have a simple job, to serve the republic, the citizens of their country from all walks of life.  It is the churches job to spread the message of the gospel of Christ, to feed the hungry, and love all who require it.  That was what Christ commanded us, to love God and then love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  We want the best for ourselves so why can’t we want the same for our neighbors across this great nation of ours?

As a Christian, we need to humble ourselves and cry out before God to heal this nation and then do our part to select leaders in public office who can best fulfill their civic duty.  The job any public servant is to ensure that the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is equally preserved for all humankind irrespective of the color, race, gender, faith, or nationality.  I am a public servant.  I fully believe this creed.

We need to stop being prideful and be the salt that God has called us to be and flavor the lives that we encounter.  Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of God.  That is the kind of example we should be following if we want to really change this world and make it a better place for our children.

It is time to humbly and prayerfully cast your vote for the person who will do their best to fulfill the obligations of the highest office in the land and serve the nation instead of their self-interest.  You don't need to agree with them, you just need to care about your country and the people who are your neighbors.  Your vote counts.