May the mumbling commence!
This time of year, the political process can leave us craving for antacids. Sometimes it is hard to be thankful for our political leaders. It is even harder to pray for our political leaders when we are angry with their actions or our current conditions. But, we are to pray for them. We find that imperative in First Timothy chapter two:
Here then is my charge: First, supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings should be made on behalf of all men: for kings and rulers in positions of responsibility, so that our common life may be lived in peace and quiet, with a proper sense of God and of our responsibility to him for what we do with our lives.
In the sight of God our savior this is undoubtedly the right thing to pray for; for his purpose is that all men should be saved and come to realize the truth. And that is, that there is only one God, and only one intermediary between God and men, Jesus Christ the man. He gave himself as a ransom for us all – an act of redemption which happened once, but which stands for all times as a witness to what he is.
I was appointed proclaimer and messenger of this great act of his, to teach (incredible as it may sound) the Gentile world to believe and know the truth.
I want the men to pray in all the churches with sincerity, without resentment or doubt in their minds. (Verses 1-8)
Pray for kings and rulers. We can translate that here in the United States as: “Pray for the president and senators and representatives – from the White House all the way down to the local school board and every representative in between. Oh, and pray for our judges too – from the Supreme Court to the local judge in your hometown.”
That is a tall order. But it is necessary. Why? It is necessary because when our lives can happen in peace and quiet, we can more easily discern a proper sense of God and our collective responsibility to Him. In our republic, it is important for the average Joe and Jane to be informed and contribute to the political process – which encourages a multiplicity of ideas and a stage for compromise.
Compromise is not a dirty or a four-letter word – no matter what some people may tell you. Without compromise, we will get nowhere fast. Yes, that means that no one will get exactly what she or he wants. It also means that we can begin to understand the ideal of both-and rather than either-or.
As a Christian, there is only one place that I cannot compromise. Jesus and no other can be known as my Savior and Lord. No one else can earn my faith – no candidate or political party to movement. In no one else will I place me hope for the future. There is only one intermediary between God and humanity – Christ Jesus.
Yet, we are to pray for our representatives from the school board to the White House. We are to pray for our judges and our police officers. We depend on them to maintain order so that we can more easily discern of proper sense of our responsibility to God in the way that we live our lives.
And we do NOT pray grudgingly. We are to pray with sincerity – without resentment or doubt in our minds. It is a tall order. But, I do give thanks for the level of peace and quiet that we have. Though the peace is far from perfect, there are some signs of its growth.
Pray for our political leaders. Get informed from a multiplicity of sources (i.e. both liberal and conservative source and everywhere in between). When you can, get sources that are from outside the US bubble. Pray before you vote. And, by all means vote the way that God leads you. The way God leads you may not be the same as other Christians. But that is okay. Vote your conscience, knowing that our hope truly lies only in Christ Jesus.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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