Thoughts on the Presidential Election

Many of the most honorable teachers, mentors, pastors and friends that I know will be voting for Barak Obama on November 4th. They support his ideology of universal health care, of taxing the wealthy in order to re-distribute personal income to the poor. Their intentions are respectable. They quote Jesus in order to justify their support of such proposals. But, the more I hear their arguments, the clearer my own thoughts become on the issue.

It is undeniable that Jesus' desire is for the poor, sick and disadvantaged to be cared for. It is the right and responsibility of every follower of Jesus to take his words seriously and to live with open hands and a generous heart. There is no lack of opportunity to serve the needy. They surround us every day. And, unfortunately, many of them are not cared for in the way they deserve. We are all too often guilty of fear, selfishness and greed which chain us to our sinful self-interests.

Yet, with that disclaimer firmly established, I still have fundamental disagreements with the ideas being proposed by Senator Obama. Scripture attests to the fact that God loves a cheerful giver as opposed to one who gives simply out of compulsion, which begs the question, "Why do we give?"

Senator Obama's plans, in my mind, epitomize the very opposite of Jesus' intentions for his followers. Our federal government does not have the right or the responsibility to enforce the Gospel of Jesus. The government's role is to create a culture of freedom, to encourage personal and collective responsibility. This is far different from legislating generosity.

The most powerful testimony to the grace and mercy of Jesus is our willingness to put aside personal gain in order to look out for the interests of others. It's the difference between saying, "I love you because I have to," and saying "I love you because I want to."

The Gospel of Jesus is holistic. It involves transformation of the entire person. It involves a reversal of selfish ways of thinking and self-centered motives. It involves life and prosperity for everyone. It is summed up in the simplest of commands- love God and love others. But the power of love, the most profound evidence of self-transformation, is ultimately manifest in how we choose to relate at a personal level to those around us.

Love cannot fully manifest itself at a distance. Actions that are forced upon us by governing authorities rob us of the essential beauty of love- the beauty of choice born out of personal and collective transformation. God knows this. He knows that the only way to truly love humanity is to enter into our life story. Therefore, he took on the very flesh and bones of humanity. He lived and worked among us. He walked beside us, looked us in the eyes, ate meals with us and ultimately took our pain, suffering and judgement upon himself in order that we might know the only way of love. He continues to dwell in and among us to manifest his perfect love.

The message Jesus lived out on earth didn't involve sending checks to charity or empowering governments to raise taxes to increase federal welfare programs. His message to his followers is clear- give to the government what the government requires of you. This promotes a peaceful society. God will hold the rulers accountable for what they do with that money. But, beyond that, give to God what he desires of you. And our accountability resides in what we choose to do at a personal and collective level with the gifts God has blessed us with. Apart from responsibility, this choice is also our greatest privilege, the greatest source of joy and life for both the giver and the receiver.

I believe the greatest virtue any of us can possess runs deeper than generosity. Our greatest virtue is willingness. The kingdom of God is a grassroots effort. A society free of government interference, one in which our freedoms are protected and choice is afforded to the individual, is the best environment for such a kingdom to thrive.

The poor and hurting need our help. Our generation has a great opportunity to manifest the love of God among the downtrodden. The American people, though often sidetracked by greed and selfishness, have shown themselves to be both willing and able to share of our own accord. There's no greater time than now to remind the world of our generosity- not as Americans, but as the people of God; not because of the change promised by any political candidate, but because of the regeneration of our hearts by our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Lord, may we be willing...