Christianity has become a major social group in the Western world. There is a good case to be made that we as a nation were even founded upon Judeo-Christian values, though it is just as evident that we are not a Christian nation. Nonetheless, Christians enjoy and have enjoyed a privileged place in society since the founding of this nation. One is hardly discriminated against daily for being a follower of Jesus. The church has a semi-foundational position in our nation, and believers can usually gather together once a week on Sunday to praise God through song and learn more about him as a gathering of believers. We have "Christian" radio stations, media outlets, record labels, production companies, and the list goes on and on.
Frankly, this is not how it was in Jesus' day.
In Jesus' day, persecution was not having a gay couple come to your bakery asking for a wedding cake. Persecution was not having a potential national leader be in favor of killing of unborn children. Persecution was not even being told that legally you were not allowed to talk to your students about your faith.
Persecution was the leader of your nation telling you to disown Jesus or be impaled through the butt up into the skull, dipped in oil, and set on fire to line the streets to and from his palaces. Persecution was having government officials track you down and put you in jail for proclaiming that the national leader wasn't God, but that the real Son of God came to die for all of our sins so that we could be no longer slaves to death but slaves to Jesus Christ. Persecution was telling your family that you might not come back home for dinner because you might be taken captive or killed for proclaiming the Good News.
So today as Christians, in what I would argue is a culture of Christian complacency, what should we do as this election season is coming to a close? Who do we vote for? Do we even vote? Do we campaign for female reproductive rights or for constraint of LGBTQ+ social change?
WWJD?
But seriously, what would Jesus do?
Better, what did Jesus do?
I have to be honest, I don't think Jesus' goal or desire for us is to "go vote," or campaign for conservative rights. I think it's much simpler than that.
Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's."
Jesus did not say, "I am here to abolish Roman rule and you are to be my warriors."
Jesus was crucified by those Romans, then stayed dead 3 days, the came back. Then he overthrew the Roman government.
Wait, no, that last statement is obviously completely false. He hung around for a little bit to prove that he was alive, then he left.
What is God's desire for us as we are 24 hours away from having a new leader of one of the most powerful and influential nations of all time? To pray for our leaders (including Clinton and Trump), to pay our taxes (however much you make and have to pay), to tithe and give (not as a last thought), and to love others. Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. I can be okay with liberals, homosexuals, atheists, conservatives, heterosexuals, Christians, and even people who go to Texas (I'm a die-hard Oklahoma Sooner), because this election season doesn't affect my faith, nor should it affect yours. It might change my nation, but God raised up and tore down nations all through history, and I have a feeling that he still is powerful enough to do it now. I'm not concerned with nations, though I try to be concerned with souls.
Since I know that Dr. Leeper might be the only one to read this, I know that I might be slightly over my word limit... But I feel that especially at a Christian university this has to be said, and maybe I should have said it sooner.
T - 24 hours...
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