An Election Day Disappointment

Here we are, November 7th, 2012. America has voted, and chosen to reelect as our President Barack Obama.

That's certainly not what I was hoping for, but that is not what is so disappointing to me.

I have been more disappointed in the things I have read on Facebook and Twitter from my Christian brothers and sisters. Things like "America is doomed, Don't forget to fill up your gas tanks tonight" and similar things have been all over the place. I've seen people changing their profile pictures on Facebook to that of an upside down American flag.

That's disappointing.

It certainly seems as though many had placed their hope in a Romney Presidency, many who would claim to be a Christ follower. I think many got it all wrong. They placed their hope in a man winning an election- and now their hopes are dashed and they have a defeatist attitude. That's sad. And it's disappointing. Especially when you consider the word of the Bible in regards to our actions when it comes to our leaders.

I think there are two main things we should be about in coming days:

1) Honor our President and Leaders.

I posted two passages from Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2 in yesterday's post- and they are still true today. We are to submit to our governing authorities, we are to pray, intercede, and to thank God for our leaders. We can have this attitude even when we disagree with our leaders because we recognize that it is God who has appointed the leaders. It is God who is the ultimate authority and who is in control. When we are raging against the election of President Obama we are raging against the person God has appointed to be our leader.

We should honor President Obama. Using coarse, derogatory, slanderous language towards him certainly does not honor our President, or God. Also- think of the example you are presenting to those watching when you do such things. We should all use respectful words to mention our President- and we should be in prayer that he would lead our nation well. That doesn't mean we have to agree with his every policy- but let's be a little more mature about about our responses.

2) Love our neighbors.

This has been an incredibly contentious election cycle. The rhetoric, and vitriol has been off the charts.

Those left leaning people that you've accused of not only wanting government handouts and welfare? They're your neighbor.

Those people you've called fool, idiot, lazy, and worse? They're your neighbor.

They're not just your neighbor- but Jesus died for them. Jesus loves them no more or less than He loves you. So let's stop acting like we are better than anyone who thinks differently than us on political issues. Let's just love them. Let's take the time to reach out to them and learn their name. Let's learn their story, their background, their family- and let's point them to Jesus.

Let's love them so deeply, so intensely, that they have no option but to become your friend. And I think that when you get past your perceived differences you'll find out they are not so different after all. They have the same fears, the same questions, the same hopes about our future.

After all, doesn't that seem a little more like something Jesus would really do? Let's keep an eternal perspective when we're viewing such things as our political process and not get too hung up on the things that do not matter in terms of eternity.

Question: What, if anything, disappointed you about the election?