Valuing what's ultimate

It's Wednesday morning, November 5th, and a day after an historic election. For me, it is a day to face up to losing: I've been a conservative for a very long time and I am no fan of President-elect Obama's plans to raise taxes or redistribute wealth. Quite frankly, I see him as Jimmy Carter part two, set to pile bad economic policy on the back of an already-weak economy; I highly suspect that the people who flocked to him so readily during his campaign will have a very different opinion of him on the other side of his term. But, that's simply my opinion. How am I as a Christian to treat this election outcome--and any leader? I know plenty of Christians who supported Obama, and plenty who cared for neither candidate. For a long time now many Christians have attempted to organize as some sort of voting bloc, but as C.S. Lewis pointed out in Mere Christianity, going to the Scriptures simply to find ammunition for my political side rarely ends well or helps build my own relationship with God in a positive direction. It takes God out of the ultimate position in my life and replaces it with a political end, with Him as the means.

No matter what we're trying to use God as a means to get to, the Scriptures make it clear that this is not the way we're supposed to live our lives or pursue Him. They also speak clearly on the issue of obedience to earthly authorities. Except when they attempt to interfere in the worship of God, we are to obey and to be good citizens of our nations.

During Jesus' time on Earth, the issue of paying taxes to the Romans was a very heated one for many Jews. The Romans took the vast majority of the population's wealth and used it to fund an army that oppressed and on occasion slaughtered that same population; thus, tax collectors weren't exactly the most popular guys in town, and many regarded paying taxes as an affront to God's position as master of the Jewish people. This was not a free and open society like ours today, yet Christ gave them no leeway because of it:

Matthew 22:15-22:

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar’s." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." ²²When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

The Pharisees sought to trap Jesus in a no-win scenario: they thought that if they could get him to say they should pay taxes, they could use that to drive away his followers, but if they caught him saying that they should not, they could turn him over to the Romans as an insurrectionist. Their foolishness prevented them from seeing the truth: Jesus did not come to concern himself with earthly authorities and kings. He came to establish a heavenly kingdom on Earth, and with God as the ultimate point of worship in the lives of those who claim residence there, the actions of earthly rulers scarcely matter in comparison.

Peter and Paul both echo this:

1 Peter 2:13-17

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Romans 13:1-7

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Keep in mind, both of these men were later executed by the government they were telling contemporary Christians to be obedient to, because that government demanded they renounce Christ. They died because God remained ultimate in their lives--and they gained the ultimate reward. Christ did not come to set up Christians as a voting bloc to "defend God," as if He could possibly lose. That is not to say that we should not spend time praying and seeking the Word for wisdom when making a decision in an election, but for too many God has left the position of ultimate point of worship, and has become a means by which Christians on both side of the political aisle pursue their agendas.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

So what does it all mean for me? It means that no matter how much I might think that the election results spell trouble, I keep my eyes on God and continue pursuing Him. It means that I value Him higher than even my own life, because in that lies greater rewards.

It also means that I owe our new President-elect the same respect that I would give to someone I preferred. I don't get to indulge in "Obama Derangement Syndrome" though honest criticism based in the truth will be thoroughly present. I do pray that no matter what happens, that God's hand is on our government and our country and that He will turn the hearts of stone in so many people to hearts of flesh that desire Him and worship Him with fervor, no matter their politics.