In my heart, I was at the Rally to Restore Sanity over the weekend. Have you looked through pictures of the signs in the crowd on Flickr? Generally amazing, creative, hilarious stuff. There's something about a giant black magic marker and a sheet of posterboard that brings out the best (and worst) in us, isn't there?
Instead of attending the Rally, I was here in small town Oklahoma, bombarded as we all are at this moment by political ads. We've got us a hot gubernatorial race a-happenin' - Oklahoma will elect its first female governor tomorrow. (I got chill bumps as I typed that.) More locally, we've got a white hot District Attorney race that has been absolutely fascinating to watch play out. Dacey is very quite confused about all the races, wondering where they will be happening and if I am running in one of them and will she able to wait for me at the finish line?
Ten years ago this month, I cast my very first vote in an election (unless, perhaps, you count the mock elections of my elementary years; if so, I'll have you know I proudly voted Reagan over Mondale). I grew up in the Moral Majority era and it was exhilarating to cast my vote for a Brother in Christ - George W. Bush. I smile even now as I think about how I went to bed that night believing victory was on our side only to be awakened by a middle-of-the-night phone call from my sister, frantic that the outcome was anything but clear.
Two years ago this month, that same sister and I spoke warmly on the phone as results rolled in on our side once again. This time, however, the Other Side.
So, here's the thing. I've been deeply, deeply invested in political opinion at various times in my life. Not just in presidential election years, either. I think it would be accurate to say that beginning in about 8th grade Civics class, I began to form strong opinions on politics and growing up in the United States allowed me easy access to a posture of partisanship. Tutelage on unyielding stance and role models in win-at-all-costs dialogue abound.
But, um, I don't think I'm going to do that anymore. Get all invested in politics, I mean.
Oh, sure, if you press then I'll tell you I consider myself a moderate Independent with Libertarian leanings. (Yep, I registered as an Independent in a closed primary state which means I get to sit out every vote except for The Big Dance.) But the viewpoint of the moderate is the one I most easily identify with these days.
In her post Moderates: The Silent Majority?, Rachel Held Evans speaks eloquently and civilly on Christians as moderates, and I fully agree with her thoughts. I especially loved this:
But I am convinced that Christians in America can appreciate their country without worshipping it, be politically engaged without being politically consumed, and hold opinions about healthcare and the economy without insisting that God agrees.
I should steal that and fill in the "Political Views" portion of my Facebook profile with her words.
In the past few years, I've grown more and more interested in what it means to place priority on the Kingdom of God above anything else. Anything. I've come to a place of feeling like, for me, discussing politics is, at best, a waste of time, and at worst, it's a significant distraction from my real purpose here: going, telling, making disciples, all that Great Commission stuff.
I've mentioned before and I'll say again that it was reading Jesus for President that really turned my mind upside down on this whole issue. Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw do a fantastic job of emphasizing how staggering the differences are between the kingdoms of this earth and the Kingdom of God. Over and over they call us to allegiance to Christ and His radical call above any allegiance to Empire.
For me, there is a matter that cannot be ignored. It is tremendously difficult for me to discuss politics while maintaining the heart of a peace maker.
- My husband and I don't agree on many matters of politics. How can I nurture our one-flesh relationship if I insist on salting the wounds of difference in our shared skin?
- With the exception of my sister, my extended family is on a different political page than I am. What is more important at a family gathering - genuine enjoyment of each others' company or playing devil's advocate to their various views?
- I live in small town Oklahoma where ultra-conservative politics and proud nationalism are the norm. How can I dig in and become invested in this community if I am constantly alienating others with my political preferences?
See, Jesus makes it clear that He loves peace. In fact, He Himself is our peace. Oh sure, He freaked out and flipped over some tables that one time, but that incident of righteous anger had nothing to do with national politics and everything to do with religious culture.
He loves peace. I love Him. I want to love peace making the way He does. I want to love peace more than I love politibooking, more than I love the satisfaction of driving a point home beyond rebuttal, more than I love comment box debates, and more than I love sounding smarter than I am.
So I'll walk down to my polling place tomorrow morning and take fifteen minutes to cast my vote. Then I'll walk back home and get back to the business of serving the Prince of Peace and the Kingdom that lasts.























