The Midterms Are Today

Today is election day. And if you haven’t voted, maybe this word from Chuck Colson will encourage you to do so. When it comes to politics, my colleague Warren Smith like to quote Yogi Berra: “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Even so, how our nation votes today will matter. On one hand, many Democrats have signaled their eagerness to impeach the president if they gain control of the House. On the other hand, Republicans want to maintain control of at least the Senate to continue their agenda of judicial appointments. Where lawmakers stand on religious liberty, abortion and assisted suicide will have real-life application in this cultural climate. The vote today matters. Across the country, races are tight. Whoever turns up at the polls will have a significant impact on states, and our country. And, even in districts where the outcome seems all but determined, there are items on the ballot of incredible consequence. In fact, 155 statewide ballot measures will be determined today too, dealing with everything from the legalization of marijuana to curtailing the public funding of abortion; from expanding Medicare to non-discrimination ordinances; private property rights, tax issues, school board elections, city and county councils who appoint civil rights commissions, bond referenda and more. If you come to BreakPoint.org and click on this commentary, we’ll link you to a site where you can check out not only what’s on your ballot but what’s up for grabs in other states. Trust me, you won’t read it and think, “Well, I can sit this one out.” If you have any doubts whether or not you should vote in today’s mid-term elections, especially as a follower of Christ, please listen to what Chuck Colson had to say about it. I don’t know of a better explanation of why Christians should be involved in the political process. As he described, it’s a way to for us to love God and our neighbors: So, have you voted yet? If so, well done. If not, as soon as this broadcast is over—or as soon as you’re off work—I want you to go and fulfill your Christian duty to be a good citizen and go vote. And while you’re at it, call a few of your Christian friends. Find out if they’ve voted yet. If not, tell them that you’re going and you’ll be glad to stop by and pick them up. And let me say this. The next time you hear someone tell you that Christians ought to take a vacation from politics, tell them to go fly a kite! Listen, it’s our duty, as citizens of the Kingdom of God to be the best citizens of the society we live in. If your pastor no longer has energy or courage to motivate his flock to speak out on public issues, maybe you can lovingly “buck him up.” Remind him or her that God’s people are to love their neighbors, to desire the best for them, to pursue the common good. And we can’t do that on the political sidelines. When a rabid secularist tells you to stop forcing your religion down his throat—simply correct him. You might say, “Excuse me, but who is suing the government to remove crosses from cemeteries? Who has filed lawsuits to remove ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance? Who’s trying to tell doctors and nurses and pharmacists that they have to participate in medical procedures that violate their religious conscience? Who’s banning Bibles from schools? In other words, who is forcing their point of view on whom? We Christians are simply trying to PRESERVE and PROTECT the rights and liberties that we Americans have enjoyed from the founding of our Republic. We are the ones who take seriously our nation’s founding creed: that “all men are created equal and endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, meaning virtue.” Our founders recognized that true rights come not from government, but from God Himself. Government must not take those rights away. And to protect those rights, we must vote. Yes, the elections are upon us. Don’t be intimidated. Do not retreat to the sidelines. Go out and vote for the candidate of your choice. Vote as your conscience informs you. And yes, allow your faith to inform your conscience.