Election Day is one week from today, and if you’re feeling a little worn out by the whole thing, you’re definitely not alone. I have had several conversations lately with folks who feel anxious about this season, and a lot of them have told me it’s hard to know how your faith fits into all of it.
So, I made something for you.
It’s a short guide with eight truths about Jesus and how they might shape the way we think about casting a vote. I put it together as a simple image so it’s easy to save, print, or pass along to someone who might need it.
Big shout out to Brian Zahnd, whose own Christian voter’s guide inspired me to write this one.
I kept each point simple, and every one of them centers on Jesus. Something he said or did, or something the church has confessed about him from the very beginning. From there I trust you to connect the dots for your own life and your own ballot. I refuse to endorse anyone.
My hope is that this helps you walk into the voting booth remembering who you belong to. The earliest followers of Jesus lived under an empire that asked for their loyalty, and they kept right on saying “Jesus is Lord.” That confession is ours too, next Tuesday and every day after.
And whatever the results are a week from now, I hope you’ll wake up on Wednesday knowing what is true. Jesus is still risen. The worst thing is never the last thing. Every neighbor you pass is still made in the image of God. And the kingdom he talked about is still quietly growing all around us.
If you’d like a prayer to carry with you, here’s one you’re welcome to borrow:
God of every nation and every neighbor, give me clear eyes and a kind heart as I vote. Help me care most about the people you care about. Keep me from fear and from contempt. And whatever the results are, remind me that my hope rests in you. Amen.
If this guide is helpful to you, please share it. Copy and paste it to social media, restack this here on Substack, send it to your small group, post it, or stick it on the fridge. You never know who might need a little steadiness this week.
well said!
Hey Beau, I’m really not trying to be argumentative in any way; this is just a thought to ponder...
Did Jesus involve himself in the politics of His day? To be fair, in Jewish culture at the time, there was an intertwining- not healthy, but still there….
Elections, more of a “Rome” context? Gives me more to ponder….
Add to that what God told His followers around the world in the diaspora, and I wonder where this fits? (Jeremiah 29)
And for me, I still think about what my expectations are for this. Those people…. To be fair, the context isn't equal: the stories in scripture are wrapped around conquering nations, and here we have a democracy, at least in the voting sense….
But are we expecting these people to be any different? Wanders down a slippery slope, messy path…. I’m not starting a political discussion; I have no interest in that at all….
I am, more and more, pondering what my expectations of any role are, and how my everyday life with God and others, servant-like living, exists alongside….
More to ponder, I suppose… Maybe it fits within “seek the welfare of the city where they are in” (Jer 29:7)
I really do enjoy what you bring to the table and the heart that comes with it…