The Election and Evangelism
Yes, I’m getting ready to write about the election. No, I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. Instead, I’m going to try to share a perspective that I believe every Christian needs to have in mind in every election cycle.
I would guess that at least half of my Facebook friends are members of the Lord’s Church. While I don’t spend a lot of time on Facebook, I do find myself scrolling through my news feed every so often. As I do, here are the types of headlines and shared articles that dominate what my eyes see:
“Hillary Said ‘This’…There Goes Her Candidacy”
“Trump’s Statement that Will Ruin America”
“Why a Vote for the Democrats is a Vote of Hope”
“Why Voting for a Democrat is a Vote for Death”
“Is Donald Our Last Hope as a Nation?”
And on…and on…and on… ad nauseam. Ad infinitum, it seems.
Admittedly, those are not actual headlines I have seen, but you know as well as I do that they very well could be. It is constant, and it is as if a vote for this candidate is the only hope we have, or a vote for that party is going to be the end of all that we know.
Now, before getting to my point, let me say this: I am going to vote. I am grateful for our political process, and I appreciate greatly the honor of living in the United States. I love this nation, and I pray for our country often. I want our nation to be strong for my children and for generations yet to come. So, this post is not about to say that we should avoid voting, or further, that we should avoid caring for our nation.
But here is what I want us to see.
We have been given a gift by living where we live at the time we are living. We live in a free country and have been given the gift of being allowed to express to the world–through various means, especially the internet–whatever we choose. What a blessing, but also what a responsibility!
So, what are we spreading to the world?
That we want them to vote for this person or that candidate, or that we want them to see the good things about this party and why that party is evil.
Now, make what may seem like a terrible transition with me.
On Sunday mornings, we are often bemoaning how “no one wants to hear the Gospel anymore.” We talk about how people are just wrapped up in their own little worlds and do not want to hear the truth about God and heavenly things any longer. They are too much tied up in this world.
Ahem…pardon me while the irony of that sinks in.
Here we are, given a gift of being able to share whatever we want with the world, and instead of giving them the Gospel, we spout politics. Instead of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, we tout everything our favorite candidate says. Instead of warning them of the wiles of the devil, we warn them about some political party.
And then we wonder why people don’t want to hear the Gospel?
It’s because too many Christians are just as caught up in this world as everyone else is.
Our hope is in some political candidate.
Our joy is wrapped up in who wins in November.
Our fear is from a politician or a party.
Yes, I care who wins. I will vote in November and try to do so as thoughtfully and prayerfully as I can. But no matter who wins on Tuesday, November 8, God will still be in charge of all things on Wednesday, November 9.
As we draw nearer to the elections, I just wonder how many Christians will spend more time and effort trying to win people to a party than they will spend trying to win people to the Lord.
This world needs to know that our hope and joy are not tied up in a donkey or an elephant. The only hope, the only source of our joy is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
Will you tell people that?
To Receive Every Post from A Legacy of Faith through Email for Free, Click Here
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
Photo background credit: DonkeyHotey on Creative Commons
