Eastertide
May 9, 2014

For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. — 1 Peter 2:9-10

 I am already sick of campaign ads and they have only just begun for this election cycle. Dealing with little that matters, they are artfully designed to play on our fears and prejudices, both of which we all have. What is a Christian to do in a democratic society with a representative form of government, which ultimately means that in the final analysis we are the emperor?

It surely does not feel like we are in charge. Many of the ads are not a part of any candidate’s campaign but are controlled by very special interest groups using generic ways of supporting candidates that agree with them and denigrating those that don’t. During the last election I stopped listening to any ad on either side that was not endorsed by a candidate.  The mute button on my TV became my friend and it actually turned out to be a good way to do a minute or two worth of exercises or prayer or both, which is certainly healthier for me than letting misleading jargon raise my blood pressure.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 Our scripture today tells us we are to accept the authority of our governments and that we are not to let our freedom be a pretext for evil. In the United States of America a part of accepting the authority of our government is being a fully engaged citizen. Taking the time to learn about the issues from every side, and then making our voting decisions based on how the positions candidates are taking fit with our vision of the Kingdom of God being fully realized on earth as a place where we love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Prayer: Lord grant me an even keel as I consider the issues of the day and how they can be a part of my loving my neighbor. Amen.