Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. Ephesians 4:3

Together

            Where do you stand in this presidential election year? No, I'm not asking which candidate or party you support. I'm asking, as a person of faith, what is your response to the political process and the possibility that the "other" candidate, the one you don't support, might be elected? What do you do as a result of your fears and/or beliefs?

            One thing Christians can and should do is refrain from claiming Jesus' exclusive support for the political candidate and/or party of their choice. When Jesus walked this earth he wanted nothing to do with political kingdoms.

             When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by             himself (John 6:15).

            Jesus refused to be made into a political figure then, and I can't imagine he would feel any differently now. So, as people of faith, what should we do when our nation faces troubling times?

            When King Jehoshaphat of Judah heard the troubling news that the armies of three nations were marching against him and his people, "Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance" (II Chronicles 20:3). Begged the Lord for guidance. Now there's a good place to start!

            What does the king do next? He looks at the bigger picture.

Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of the Lord. He prayed, "O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are the powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you! (II Chronicles 20: 5-6).

            God and God alone is the ruler of all the kingdoms on earth. Oh, yes. Thank you for this reminder, Jehoshaphat. Caught up in the throes of our nation's political process that seems to bring out the worst in everyone, we really need this comforting reminder. Looking at the bigger picture has a way of adjusting our perspective and calming our hearts.

            In his prayer, Jehoshaphat goes on to recount the many ways God has rescued the people of his nation in the past. He concludes with this plea:

            We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help (II Chronicles 20:12b).

            If we follow Jehoshaphat's example, which resulted in a miraculous rescue, by the way (you may read the full account in II Chronicles 20), we will:

·       beg for God's guidance

·       look at the bigger picture (God's sovereignty vs. an earthly ruler's sovereignty)

·       recall the ways God has rescued us in the past

·       admit that we don't really know what to do

·       ask God for help

            In addition, we can follow my mother's age-old advice to my brother and me: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything. Or as Jesus memorably put it in his Sermon on the Mount:

Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).       

 The Apostle Paul urged the Ephesians to:

. . . be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

We can do that too, right? Even with those with whom we disagree? Even with those who support the political party with which we disagree, whichever party that might be? As people of faith, what is our response? We can choose to "other," or we can choose to "together." Which will it be?

 Daye Phillippo

August 2016