Moving forward after the elections

Elections often bring out the worst in us. Beyond the corruption and deception that shrouds most political campaigns or as their ads constantly bombard us with the hype and the hatred that they generate, election cycles often challenge our deepest allegiances. The real question becomes: Can Christians disagree without demonizing each other? Tuesday was our opportunity to either participate in or ignore our midterm elections, and although Scripture wasn't recorded in a time period of democracy as we've come to know it, a good case could be made either way for our Christian participation in it or abstaining from the process. So the choice to vote or not was yours to make, but for those being divisive over politics, the Bible never condones hateful attitudes or actions for believers. Lately it feels like we have enabled a group of people who perpetually/professionally travel the campaign trail on our dime. Yes this sounds cynical, but how do our politicians actually accomplish any meaningful work when they are always away making speeches on the stump. More importantly, do we as believers set ourselves up for disappointment when we place too much trust in a system that seems to only benefit the folks printing bumper stickers and billboards? Whenever we end up trusting governmental leaders more than we do God, or whenever our identity becomes more wrapped up in an affiliation with our political party, we suffer. On the other hand, many believers are too timid to speak up when it comes to sharing our political views from a fear of being ostracized or alienated. As the old saying goes, "Don't mix religion and politics." Either way, a solid case could be made from the Bible for viewing politics both positively or negatively. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Paul tells us to pray for kings and people in powerful positions. Likewise in Romans 13:1-7 Paul tells us to respect and submit to all government authorities since God has ordained them. And consider 1 Peter 2:13-17 where Peter tells us to honor and submit to emperors and governors. In Acts 13:22 we read how God removed Saul and made David the king, David who was a man after God's own heart. And in Daniel 2:21 we learn God removes kings and places kings in power as He sees fit — yet, we also read in the Bible that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Sadly amid all of the culturally acceptable polarization surrounding the political spectrum, as we argue over Israel, our borders, the economy and the price of gas, Iran, who will control the House and the Senate, and amid the smear campaigns, many have missed the mark. We shouldn't obsess over political parties and wish for our opponent's failure since we are called to take the higher ground. As Jesus said, "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…" (Matthew 5:44). Craig Cottongim is the minister at New Song Church in Kingsport. Email him at craigcottongim@gmail.com.