Political Rhetoric Misses The Point
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave --just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -- Matthew 20:25-28
Okay. It’s official. I am beyond tired of the political rhetoric and I want us to all vote and go home. Oh, and shut up. I really want us to all go to our rooms and have a time out. Seriously.
This political debate raging in our country -- and I’m not talking about the debate Wednesday night between the two candidates -- has really gotten out of hand. Choosing one or the other candidate doesn’t mean either is endorsed by God.
We forget sometimes that Jesus is neither a Democrat or Republican. He’s not a member of the Tea Party either. The Son of Man came to serve. He represents God. So should any political leader we consider.
We get so caught up in the rhetoric and the sound bites that we forget what’s really important. We’re so determined to make a difference in our own pocketbooks that we can’t see beyond them. That’s true of both sides, by the way.
Certainly we should pray for our leaders. And we should ask God to choose the right candidate based on His standards and not our own. Because God looks at the things of the heart, not the outward appearance or the latest poll numbers.
But we also shouldn’t expect one man -- one very human man -- to fix everything all by himself. No matter who is elected, he must work with Congress, with other world leaders, with the public, to create the kind of country we all want to live in.
That means that everyone has to do his or her part. We keep looking to government to put God back in our lives when we really should be doing it for ourselves. Are your children learning about Jesus in your home? Are they learning to follow the Ten Commandments by observing you? What are you showing your neighbors and co-workers about Jesus?
It’s just so easy to fight it out with empty political promises from people we’ve never met. It’s not so easy to look in the mirror and admit that we aren’t doing our part to make things right.
I’ll be glad when the election is over and we can get back to normal, whatever that is. We’ll still be fussing and pointing fingers but at least maybe it won’t be so nasty. Our country doesn’t hinge on the back of one individual. We’ll get back to where we need to be when our citizens start focusing their individual lives back on God, the way our Founding Fathers always intended.
