November 5, 2024
By Rev. Dr. Scott Field
Today is the National Election in the United States. Most prognosticators expect a very close race. I expect that half of the US voterswill be elated and half will be disappointed. All will likely be exhausted from the “campaign season.” 
Here are three suggestions to keep close to mind and heart as the results of the election become known, whether we find ourselves among the elated or the disappointed…or maybe something in-between.
No Other God: Keeping First Things First Jesus and Caesar
Jesus was asked about the relationship between our devotion to God and our devotion to the government. Here it is:
20 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their trickery and said, 24 “Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 “Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” (Luke 20:20-25 NLT/ Matthew 22: 15-22)
I appreciate this translation that teases out the underlying deception in a false dichotomy: “Do we give our allegiance to Caesar or not?” If Jesus said, “Yes”, he would inflame the Jewish nationalists who despised the oppression of Rome. If he said, “No”, he would be accused of rebellion against the Roman political authority at the time.
Jesus’ response underscores a human certainty: all of us live with both bprimary and secondary authorities and devotions. Responsibilities to the governing authorities are real and have real obligations. But these authorities and obligations, certainly for Christians, are secondary to God’s authority and our responsibilities as Jesus’ disciples. It is notable that even when the Babylonian forces took so many Israelites into exile, the Prophet Jeremiah, speaking to the captives on behalf of the Lord, writes,
4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7 NLT)
What does this have to do with us? Vote if you have the opportunity. Pay your taxes if and as required. Seek the well-being of wherever you find yourself. Our primary devotion is to the Lord. Giving primary allegiance and devotion to a nation, a leader, a political party or a movement is idolatry. And this primary devotion to God leads to a secondary obligation: love your neighbor as you love yourself. My devotion to Christ requires my devotion to the well-being of others, including the town, city, nation, and world in which I am a part.
No Deeper Trust: Human Agency and Divine Sovereignty Kamala and Donald
Not long after the US National Election of 2016, I was at a UM clergy gathering, sitting down to lunch with a long-time colleague and friend. He was shocked and disheartened by the outcome of the US Presidential Election. He said something that keeps the limits of human agency and the unlimited sovereignty of God in proper perspective, I think: “If God could use Nebuchadnezzar for His purposes, then I expect He can use our new president, too.” This was an underwhelming endorsement for the winning candidate to be sure, but it also underscored the surprising contours of God’s work in human affairs.
The outcome in 2016 was, at least to my friend, both unwelcome and disappointing. The Prophet Habakkuk found the situation for Israel in the late seventh century B.C. to require divine intervention if it was going to be put right. If you are unfamiliar with this surprising little portion of Scripture (just three chapters), it is worth your reading andreflection.
Essentially it records Habakkuk’s complaints against the way God is at work in the world. But it ends with a poignant confession that the Lord can be trusted, even when we do not understand the turn of events or, perhaps more importantly, when the turn of events prompts a repentant response and fresh commitment to justice and mercy. (See Habakkuk 3:16-19).
My observation here is that the Scriptures are replete with examples of leaders, woven into the fabric of history, who are far from perfect and, in some cases, tragically flawed. At Habakkuk’s time it was Nebuchadnezzar, whom the Prophet Jeremiah described as the “destroyer of nations” (Jeremiah 4:7) but who also welcomed Daniel as a leading influencer in Babylon (Daniel 2:46-49). But think also of Abraham’s lying, Jacob’s deception, King David’s adultery, Samson’s vengeful anger…you get the idea. My trust in the Lord allows me to trust that world events are not beyond God’s sovereignty. Recently at a dinner with several friends, the discussion turned, as it always seems to do in this season, to politics. One of the seasoned saints seemed to bring us all to a wise place when he said, “I know things seem chaotic right now, but I don’t think God is white-knuckling the outcome of this election.” True enough.
I may have a preferred candidate or political platform, but those preferences and commitments are secondary to my deeper trust in the mercy of God and secondary to my obligation to seek the healing and well-being of the world and all its people.
Either candidate elected as the next President of the United States, whether Kamala or Donald, will be human with all the strengths and liability that entails.
No Greater Purpose: You and Me Here and Now
During this election campaign season in the US, you might come to the conclusion thatour highest purpose is to vote for a particular candidate or to vote against a competing candidate. Voting is important, no doubt. But our primary identity and purpose as Christians is much higher and longer lasting.
9 … you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. (1 Peter 2:9-12)
Our primary purpose is to serve as witnesses to the redeeming gospel of Jesus Christ in word and action. The Apostle Paul wrote that all of the other distinctions we may make between people — perhaps things like nationality, race, ethnicity, age, income, achievements, gender, political party or persuasion, various religious commitments or no religious commitment whatsoever – all of these are decidedly secondary to our concern for introducing others to the Jesus Christ, the Matchless Redeemer.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
I’ve referenced a lot of Scripture in this WCA Outlook. Political campaigns can, wittingly or not, carry the demonically deceptive promise that if we would just vote for a particular candidate or vote against the opponent that something akin to the Kingdom of God will arrive. Nothing could be further from the truth.
And speaking of “the truth”, I want to add my voice to keep us pointed in the direction of God’s Word when there seem to be endless other words seeking to steal our attention and our devotion.
No other gods.
No deeper trust.
No greater purpose.
How come?
Because while today, November 5th, is National Election Day in the US tomorrow will be, God willing, November 6th.
Which means, no matter who and how many are elected to office, Christ-followers will still have a primary allegiance to the Lord, an underlying trust in God’s sovereignredemptive initiative for the world and its people, and the ongoing task of serving as God’s Kingdom representatives.
As always, on November 6th we will be sent together, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, for the healing of the world in Jesus’ Name. Accept no substitutes.