Today is the day. The day Americans drive/bike/walk up to their election poll ready/not ready to vote for the next President of the United States.
To be completely honest, I’ve been looking forward to this day. I’ve wanted the ads, debates, and Facebook/Twitter hate to would go away. Every time I jump online, I only last for a few minutes before I get annoyed or angry and exit out of my app(s). I’m sure you have felt the same way.
Even discussions with my family members would send me over the edge. I was beginning to dread family dinners due to political conversation. Not only were there deep debates over candidates, but actual worry coming from a few. Each time I heard them speak, I thought:
God still reigns… no matter what.
My friend posted a photo of a small section of “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis on Facebook. It said:
“My dear wormwood,
Be sure that patient remains completely fixated on politics. Arguments, political gossip, and obsessing on the faults of people they have never met serves as an excellent distraction from advancing in personal virtue, character, and the things that patient can control. Make sure to keep the patient in a constant state of angst, frustration, and general disdain towards the rest of the human race in order to avoid any kind of charity or inner peace from further developing. Ensure the patient continues to believer that the problem is “out there” in the “broken system” rather than recognizing there is a problem with himself.
Keep up the good work,
-Uncle Screwtape.”
That was written in 1942. Crazy that it’s 2016 and we can feel and see this with our own eyes.
I think Americans believe that we are entering into some dark days, but I’ll give you a little history lesson to maybe ease the worry a bit.
There was a time in history when some of the worst individuals lived and ran countries at the same time. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. Those were some very dark days in that era, definitely a thousand shades darker than what we as Americans are seeing. But even in the middle of it all, God still reigned.
We can fixate on minds on candidates, but distance our thoughts on who the real King is.
I’ve gotten caught up with what the news is saying and what I’m reading in the newspaper that I haven’t even declared with my mouth that Jesus is still King. Maybe you have done the same. Let’s not be people who forget who the King is.
I love what Jennie Allen shared online.
“Here will be my singular post on the election. I am not afraid. I’ve been studying Church history and corrupt leaders come and go, there are times of prosperity and suffering, kingdoms grow and ALL fall and the Church grows more because of all of it. Of course I’m not saying I want chaos but even if the very worst happens, this is not our “city”. Augustine wrote a book called “The City of God” after the Roman Empire fell (equivalent to America falling today). He writes…… “the earthly city glories in itself, the Heavenly City glories in the Lord.” Our future city is growing and vibrant… “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10.“
Today, many people will feel a weight of heaviness once the new President of the United States has been announced, but remember that…