Oh, and before I really get rolling here, [is everyone just
afflicted right now with All The Thinking? Or just me?] this is where I’m
coming from, and who I imagine will read this.
1. I am a disciple of the risen and reigning Jesus Christ—I love
him, I read his Word, and I believe that it is true. He says hard things, and
they are good and true.
2. I hold conservative beliefs: morally, socially, fiscally,
politically… in every way, pretty much, I lean to the right. I keep up with
Rush Limbaugh. [Keep Up, I said, not worship. See #1.] I read the Blaze, Matt
Walsh, Fox News, Drudge Report.
3. I have both very conservative and very liberal Facebook
friends who are Christian and otherwise, and see no reason to curate my friends-list based on this.
In fact, because
of my liberal pals, I read HuffPo articles, Rachel Held Evans blog posts, hippie-organic-crunchy
news, ‘bleeding heart’ stuff. :) (Jen Hatmaker, looking at you. Love you.)
~ I disagree profoundly with lots of what you post,
politically. Sometimes I think you’re nuts (this is said affectionately—and will
full knowledge that it would work both directions).
~ You guys have super cool lives though—awesome travels,
funny and adorable kids, great recipes that you rocked (or not), jobs that I could never do,
churches and families that are taking care of you, mission opportunities that you pour yourselves into. I think you are neat people.
I claim you as my friends.
4. Here’s the thing, my main thing today. I don’t know who
to vote for. I was all-in for Cruz. Was he perfect? No. But as a citizen
bearing the right to vote (rights protected at such cost, by so many), here is how
I consider the candidates and who gets my vote—I’m thinking it is a similar
process for most interested/invested voters. Maybe I’m off base, you tell me.
First, we want someone who says Good Things, things we agree
with. [caveat: For the most part.
100% agreement would mean running myself, which is unlikely for most of us!] This refers to their ‘platform’ as well as
just the regular words that come out of their mouth. We want someone who doesn’t
lie, whose stance on current issues lines up with our own thoughts, and who isn’t
crass or awful.
Then, after we affirm the words they say, we want them to
actually demonstrate that they DO the Good Things they promise. A track record—something
from their past that would point to future behavior.
A voting record in
congress;
a look at the legislation they author or support;
job performance as
statesmen (and states-women) or businessmen (and women);
assurance from their
family life, perhaps, which could indicate loyalty, fidelity, capability to see
and love humanity [people with kids have the opportunity to SEE and LOVE
HUMANITY, for instance!].
For me, these criteria pointed me to Ted Cruz. (And allowed for several
others, who were filtered out by the primary process.) They point me AWAY from
all three candidates right now. #nevertrump #neverhillary #neverbernie. Most of
these candidates break down early on: they believe things that I don’t, and they
don’t believe things that I do.
I know that there are lots of you, Facebook Christian
Liberal or Conservative friends, who might drag the candidates through the same
process and come out with a different person. Obviously. This is where it gets
tricky.
I am bothered when people I respect, people I have dear
memories singing with, or playing sports with, or learning from, say things
along the lines of “People who are for Ted Cruz are against the gospel,” or “If
you know what Jesus thinks about [social justice thing], then you cannot simply
vote for Ted Cruz.” Or that whole “Lucifer” thing from John Boehner.*
Unconscionable, to suggest that the Enemy of God resides in a person, any
person.
But, shamefully, I admit to
having had similar thoughts the other way, about Hillary supporters or Obama
fans. (Not about them being the devil; about my knowing God’s will and knowing His least preferred
candidate and making broad assumptions about the type of people who support him).
How ungracious of me. **these are not
actual quotes, but I’m sure you have seen this kind of thing.**
I resent it when I see Christians on the other side of my views
proliferating these ideas. They seem to assume that I haven’t done my due wrestling.
Jesus is not running for president. He is King, and we get the full joys of
that later, #comeLordJesus, but right now we just have people running for
president. So that’s who we get to pick from, if we do in fact cast a vote.
One example of how this plays out goes like this: Fellow
Christians who are liberals might accuse me of not loving the widow and orphan,
the alien within our American gates. (Based on the fact that Senator Cruz, and
Trump too, have run on stiffer immigration law and enforcement, which would
necessarily restrict floods of immigrants in search of a better life.) I have
weighed that, and found the plight of hundreds of thousands of babies a year
who are sliced and diced in horrific ways LESS palatable. So, I can’t support someone who supports
Planned Parenthood. I just can’t. Yes, that puts me on the hook for all the
babies who must be born and cared for, and their mothers. And fathers. I take that on, and I think that the
policies of conservatism allow for increased prosperity even at the bottom
level, as well as the space for Christ’s church to dive in and take on big
problems in small, community-level efforts. That’s where my heart and hands
want social justice to happen in a big way.
I am seeing that other people who also hold my
Christ-following worldview have wrestled this through and come out with
something different. On this, and many other issues. Where’s the line on human dominion
of Creation? We land different places on what it means to care for, subdue,
delight in, resource from.
So much wrestling—in our own hearts, to discern our own
positions, and then hashed out all over again when we have to pick someone who
will represent us in government. Someone who thinks like us For the most part. Which means that some
parts are going to be contrary, and we all have different ideas of what is
essential to our candidate, and what might have to give a little, in a vote.
Or, perhaps, not budging. There comes a time when the least of two evils is
still evil. But I don’t think we all get to this point at the same time, do we?
… like I said, it’s tricky.
So, to end: Friends who are Christians and liberals, I thank
you for your perspective. I don’t get it, but I want you to know that I suspect
you all are people who don’t hate people who are different in thought or looks
or behavior, and that you actually want good things to happen in government and
society for all people. Please do me the honor of acknowledging the same.
And to really end: for me, it’s still #nevertrump
#neverbernie #neverhillary.
