DON'T TRUST IN PRINCES: POST '23 ELECTION BLUES AND THE ANSWER

Christians United Church, Indianapolis, IN

"Don't trust in princes or in a son of man, in whom there is no help." Psalm 146:3 

Is this the worst case of post election blues I've ever had? Probably others were at least as bad, but for mayor/city council elections, this takes the cake. Let me make several points why.

First, the scorecard. There were eight offices I voted for: Indy mayor and City Council, and Lawrence mayor, town clerk, district councillor and three at large councillors. The Indy Councilor was the only one I didn't vote for the loser, and that's because that candidate was unopposed.

Second, the challenger for Indy mayor focused on the incumbent's record, specifically an annually increasing murder rate, loss in numbers of police force, and telling the police to stand down during the George Floyd riots. The Incumbent's party responded with the charges that the Challenger was a Trump supporter, had an extreme view on abortion, and had an A+ rating from the NRA. Any of those mayor issues? Even if they were, those views are similar to mine; are they saying I'm a deplorable because I lean Republican? That you need to be a liberal lemming to be worthy of being elected?

In Lawrence township, the Republican mayor candidate and his party's town clerk and council candidates visited my apartment complex. I had great conversations with a couple of the gentlemen. I didn't have great conversations with their Democrat counterparts because they never came. :'( Likewise, the GOP candidate had a billboard on a main road and I regularly drove by three campaign signs for him. Only one for the Democrat. Yet the Democrat won 53-47%. (The Democrat Indy mayor did better, with 60%-40%, normal result for the U.S. Congressional seat in the same area.) Is that saying that I'm not worth the Democrats trying to earn my vote? Worse yet, is it saying that a vote for a Republican is meaningless, the same claim they make when I vote Libertarian?

I'm also discouraged with voter turnout. We are ready to vote for President, where we represent 0.000001% of the eligible voters, but we don't have time when our vote may actually have an effect on the election. When the GOP showed up at our apartment with six candidates, it looked like those who came to talk to them were two residents per candidate. 😱

Last week (Nov. 5, '23), Pastor Jeremy Couture at Northside Baptist Church preached on James 4:11-17, and made the point that "Magnifying other people's problems violates the second greatest commandment." He said it includes "slander, gossip, and exagerated accusations (emphasis mine). Couture gave an example of lighting candles when the power is out, and added that we often try to make our light brighter by dimming the light of those around us. Doesn't this sound like political ads? What if we started treated our opponents with respect?

But the bottom line is I SHOULD NOT GET POST-ELECTION BLUES! The Democrats aren't the answer to our problem. The Republicans aren't the answer to our problems. No, not even the Libertarian Party is the solution. As the billboard I posted above reads, we should trust only in the Lamb, in Jesus Christ.

Things may not be as bad as I think, or they may be a lot worst. But we need to remember that the authorities  that exist are appointed by God (Romans 13:1), and the fact we're in a democracy does not change that fact. Also, we're commanded to honor all men and the king, and to give supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all men, including kings and those in authority over us (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Post Election Blues are a symptom either of fear or idolatry in our party. Neither is what God has called us to. He did call us to pray, and I pray regularly for those in authority for me, from President to town council, Democrat or Republican.