In
the movie Napolean Dynamite, “vote for Pedro” becomes a movement. In his speech,
he says,
Hello. I don't have much to say. But I
think it would be good to have some holy santos brought to the high school...to
guard the hallway and to bring us good luck. El Santo Niño de Atocha is a good
one. My Aunt Concha has seen him.
And...and I'd like to see more of that.
If you vote for me, all of your wildest dreams will come true. Thank you.
I take my politics seriously. I study
the issues. I have developed some political commitments. For some reason,
reflecting upon Psalm 146 has helped. In fact, I invite you to read Psalm 146
in light of the election this year for President.
First, only God deserves praise.
Psalm 146 begins with the command,
"Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my
life long" (vv. 1-2).
For
the most part, politics is not worthy of praise. In contrast, Psalm 146 is a
celebration of the eternal sovereignty of God -- a leadership position that has
no term limits. This psalm has long been part of daily morning prayer in the
Jewish tradition. It is appropriate for use by Christians as well, as we join
the psalm-writer in singing "praises to my God all my life long." To
praise God is to give credit where credit is due to the Lord who is our
creator, redeemer and sustainer. When we offer praise, we are saying that God
is God, and we are not.
Second, put your trust in something
eternal. The psalm warns us,
"Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return
to the earth;
on that very day their plans
perish" (vv. 3-4).
We
take a chance when we rely on political leaders to help us because they are as
flawed, weak, biased, transitory and limited as any human beings on Earth. Paul
McKay wrote that emotion can get away with us as we invest so much faith in a
political messiah. We can develop blind spots that blind us to the mistakes and
foibles of the ones we have invested so much faith and trust and emotion in.
Eric Hoffer wrote a little book about this, The
True Believer. Such emotional investment is powerful.[1]
Inevitably, our political heroes let us
down, if we are honest and dispassionate about them. At that point, we might be
angry at their human weakness -- and at the same sinful nature we have in
common with them all.
Third, do not expect a candidate to
make you happy. With all the energy that goes into a presidential campaign, we
can certainly forgive voters for wanting their favorite candidate to bring them
joy and satisfaction. However, such an expectation is truly unrealistic and is
often a recipe for disappointment. Whether the victor is a Republican or a
Democrat, he is going to let down large numbers of his supporters.
Fourth, vote the Lord's values.
Sadly, this single thought has been
co-opted by both Left and Right. As Nathan D. Baxter put it, we need to
remember that Jesus is not a doctrine or political philosophy. Jesus is a life,
a teaching, an everlasting witness of divine grace and love -- even unto the
cross.[2]
Psalm 146 says that God is the one
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the
blind" (vv. 7-8).
These
are God's values, according to the psalm. Some people will define how
compassionate a government is by how many people receive government help. In
contrast, others will take the position that limited government, combined with
the lowest possible taxes and regulation, will create a rising tide lifts all
boats. For them, the best way to help the poor is to have a growing and
expanding economy. These two positions are not mutually exclusive. In fact,
which side you fall upon is largely a matter of degree. While good Christians
will certainly debate the ways that our society can address these concerns,
there should be no disagreement about their priority to God. When you enter the
voting booth, vote for the candidate who is best aligned with God's priorities.
- Justice for the oppressed --
fair treatment for those who have been mistreated, shoved aside or
ignored.
- Food to the hungry -- access
to nourishment, in developing countries and in American inner cities.
- Freedom for prisoners --
both spiritual liberation while incarcerated and work opportunities once
released.
- Opening the eyes of the blind -- not only physical healing, but new visions of a better future for us all.
These
are God's values, and they undergird what the psalm tells us about God:
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed
down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to
ruin" (vv. 8-9).
In
every time and place, God lifts up the burdened and loves those who are in a
right relationship with him. God has special concern for the strangers in our
midst and wants to take care of orphans and widows -- those who have no way to
provide for themselves. Once again, there are going to be honest disagreements
about how best to meet these needs, but the needs themselves are indisputable.
Fifth, take the long view. If you
are joyful on election night, do not get overly elated. If you are disappointed
when the election is over, do not get too depressed. The next presidential
campaign will begin before you know it, and the political pendulum will begin
to swing in the other direction.
As Christians, the most important leader
in our lives is Almighty God, and Psalm 146 reminds us that
"the LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!" (v. 10).
When
we give praise to God, we are joining a community of faithful people who are
linked together across the generations. The church has seen countless political
victories and defeats, as well as numerous times of national celebration and
heartache. Election days may be divisive and difficult, but they do not prevent
us from looking up to God together and taking the long view of human history.
Frederick Douglass, from a speech
celebrating West Indian Emancipation Day, August, 1857, reflected on the symbol
of the Statue of Liberty.
The Statue of
Liberty is a familiar icon of American democracy, but few Americans have
examined Lady Liberty closely enough to realize she is trampling on a set of
broken shackles lying on the ground at her feet. The shackles have a very
specific meaning that has been all but lost to popular memory.
It was a French
abolitionist, Édouard René Lefèbvre de Laboulaye, who first conceived the idea
of the French people giving such a statue to the United States. At the time of
the Confederacy's surrender, de Laboulaye rejoiced. At a Paris dinner party, a
young sculptor, Frédéric Bartholdi, heard him propose the idea of a massive
statue celebrating the Union victory. The statue would eventually be called
"Liberty Enlightening the World." It would demonstrate how the
abolitionists' hard-won victory was a shining example for all humanity.
With the support
of de Laboulaye, Bartholdi became not only Lady Liberty's sculptor, but also
her chief fundraiser. A subscription campaign in France paid for the statue,
and a corresponding campaign in the United States paid for her massive pedestal
-- a significant work of engineering in itself.
Bartholdi's
original design called for Lady Liberty to be holding a broken chain, symbolic
of the freedom the Union victory had won for the American slaves. Even though
the statue's 1886 dedication took place more than 20 years after the
Confederate surrender, feelings still ran strong. That aspect of the design was
considered too provocative. Bowing to the realities of fundraising, Bartholdi
revised his design, placing in Lady Liberty's hand, instead, a tablet
symbolizing the rule of law. Yet, he refused to abandon de Laboulaye's original
vision of the statue as an abolitionist monument. Bartholdi moved the broken
chain from her hand to the ground under her feet.
There the chain
and broken shackles remain to this day, a symbol of the vision of liberty for
all God's children that thrilled the world at the end of the Civil War.
Liberty
continues to be a fragile ideal that must be struggled over, at times even
fought for. Going to the polls to vote our conscience is a way of preserving
the vision of Liberty's broken shackles.
Those who
profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops
without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning.
If your candidate wins, praise the Lord!
If your candidate loses, praise the Lord! If you are excited about the next
four years, praise the Lord! If you are worried about what will happen next,
praise the Lord! There is nothing that can happen on Election Day that should
shift your focus away from giving praise to the God who has created you,
redeemed you and sustained you throughout the course of your life.
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