Glad When it’s Over

I can’t speak for everyone, but as for me and my house, we will rejoice when this political season is over. By the time this article prints, the election will be less than a week away. I pray the results will come smoothly and quickly, and there will be no long-drawn-out court battle to decide who won. Each time that happens, it undermines our faith in the process. I wish I had more confidence in the entire system, and maybe I should, but it becomes increasing difficult to trust the people tallying the votes are doing what they should. Maybe I am overly cynical, or maybe there is credible reason to wonder? I just hope there isn’t civil unrest when the winner is announced.

All that being said, I will be glad when this election is over for many reasons.

I have grown weary of opening my mailbox each day and finding unsolicited campaign flyers. Before going into fulltime ministry, I worked for several years as a part-time mail carrier for the Post Office. If you think you are sick of all the political mailers, you ought to try delivering a few thousand of them every day, for several weeks! It grows quite wearisome, I assure you.

But it’s not just the junk mail that irritates me (us). I imagine every person reading this is also getting numerous unwanted phone calls and text messages every day. Each of them saying: this political group insists I get out and vote … or this certain issue is at stake … or this politician needs my support … etc, etc. I suppose texting is just a modern form of leaflets, but my wife and I have already voted, hence – a text message at this point is nothing more than a nuisance.

And the TV ads! Oh, the abysmal nonstop cycle of TV ads. When will it ever end?! Most of us have strong political opinions, and we don’t really want to see or hear what the other side has to say. In fact, watching their commercials can make us angry or nauseous. But at the same time, I think we all grow weary of seeing even our candidate-of-choice plastered between our favorite programming over and over again. I will be so glad when all the lies, misinformation, misrepresentation, and manipulation broadcast across our air waves is over … at least for four more years. 

But it is not just the vying for votes that I am weary of … I am also sick of all the division. And the infighting and strife. There are families, friends and even churches that are experiencing angst and anger all because of this political dynamic. I have men whom I love and respect who now treat me like a leper for not standing where they stand on politics. There are families who bicker and fight, and forget they are family, every single election cycle. Churches and church members don’t get along, and look at one another with suspicion, all because they don’t see eye to eye about who we should (or should not) vote for. Lifelong friends distance themselves from each other, all because they don’t view politicians and their platforms just alike. 

I will be glad when this election is over, because as a pastor I delight to hear people talk about God and the Word of God. Every four years, the conversations outside church buildings shift political, and it shouldn’t that way. How about instead of talking politics, we instead discuss the message just preached? Or the songs just sung? Or the Scripture just explained? I know that may seem a novel idea, but rather than focusing on politicians who don’t know you, what if instead – we focused on the God who loves His people and cares deeply for them?! Christian, rather than showing unyielding devotion to some politician who doesn’t even know your name, why not publicize the Savior who wrote your name in the book of Life? 

Political conversations have their place, I realize that. And the believer cannot, must not, separate their Christian worldview from the voting booth. Nor should preachers shy away from preaching against the sins that are destroying this nation. But we must also remember, the world is not coming to an end every four years. If you think this is the most important election of your lifetime, I will ask you to remember; you said that same thing four years ago, and four years before that, and four years before that. And you will be saying the same thing four years from now. It’s just not true. 

In the town I grew up in, there was a septic tank pumping company that had a clever slogan written on the back of all their tankers. It read, “Caution, this truck is full of political promises.” Sadly, that is pretty close to the truth. Why then, would we allow our political opinions to divide and separate us? It ought to grieve us when we allow differences of opinions (particularly about politics) to hinder fellowship and communion between saints. I speak especially to church-going, Jesus-loving Evangelicals … there is far more that unites us than divides us. Why allow our political preferences to keep us from delighting around our oneness in Christ! We do not honor God when we allow earthly elections to keep us from rightly loving God’s elect people. 

I will be glad when this election is over. Well, in truth, I will be glad when every election is over. You see, one day the King of kings is returning, and when He does – there won’t be anymore quarreling about who’s the best candidate. When Christ returns, He will rule and reign this whole planet. He won’t need your support, or mine, or any electoral college to vote Him in! He won’t be sending out any mailers, or text messages or running TV ads. Instead, He will return, judge His enemies, and govern this entire earth with a rod of righteousness. On that day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. When the King of Glory sits on the throne, wickedness will come to an end. If you share that same belief, we ought to be able to get along, even if we don’t agree about who we ought to vote for. 

All this mess makes me want to pull my hair out! 

So yeah … Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.