It’s Saturday, November 7, 2020.
Today, Joseph Biden has been projected as the President-elect of the United States. I foresee much more drama between now and January’s inauguration day but the chances of a Biden presidency are certainly high, if not inevitable.
In the current American political climate, victory for either candidate would produce the same result: triumphalism from the victors and fear from the defeated. Unfortunately, the days of mere “disappointment” after an election failure are out of the door.
We saw it in 2016 from the left and I expect we’ll see it from the right in 2020: anxiety and fear that a loss at the polls will lead to retribution and an assault on our “way of life”. Upon Trump’s election in 2016 racial minorities, homosexuals, and religious minorities expressed concern that Trump’s victory would have personal consequences for them. As Biden’s 2020 victory becomes more apparent, I expect that many Christians and conservatives will feel similarly.
A lot could be said about this election: we could discuss how many lost trust in the process through allegations of fraud. We could explore the implications of both parties scuttling away from the center. The pandemic certainly impacted this election and offers plenty of food for thought for the analysts and pundits.
So much could be said about 2020’s race for the presidency. Perhaps I will explore some of those topics in the future. Perhaps not.
What I am most interested in discussing now is how conservative Christians – specifically those finding themselves uneasy as the Left propels their guy into the highest office in the land – can respond to the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in a way that glorifies God.
That last part is key. How can we as Christians glorify God in light of current events?
This may be better suited for its own dedicated article but I believe that God has not been glorified by either party in recent years. (Certainly, each party embraces different principles and some are more aligned with what God loves than others. Some of those principles are in outright opposition to God.) The sneering derision of the Left and the boastful self-sufficiency of the Right has put man on our political thrones and pushed God out. Trump’s presidency may have brought strong policies but it’s an uphill climb to debate that it has glorified God.
Going Low
So how do we as Christians glorify God now?
We must go low.
What do I mean?
Well, I don’t mean we strike below the belt. We must not grit our teeth and exact revenge. Hate, fear, and subversive disdain must not find root in the church.
“Going low” also doesn’t mean beating a hasty retreat from the public square. Or going into “functional hiding”. This is not a moment for “staying low” or “keeping a low profile”. Christ has promised trials but he’s also promised his presence and that keeps us bold.
When I say that Christians must “go low” I mean that the church must a) embrace humility, b) work locally, and c) love the least/lowest.
I’ll unpack each of these.
Embrace Humility
This is not just swallowing humble pie with something to wash it down. This is embracing humility as a friend. God promises to give grace to the humble in the same breath that he promises to oppose the proud (James 4:6).
Humility is not something we must avoid and only accept when we have truly fallen.
It is the gateway to grace.
Our natural reaction to a loss, especially one in an election, is to fight back. Defend ourselves. Point out the flaws or illegitimize our opponents. (I am not implying that concerns of voter fraud in elections should be dismissed without investigation. That’s another article though.)
Rather, let us embrace humility and draw near to God. We can embrace what Tim Keller calls “blessed self-forgetfulness“: the humility to realize that we are not the driving characters of this story, that God has put us in the story for the sake of his glory and the redemption of our neighbors.
Work Locally
Speaking of neighbors, it’s time to engage them.
Today I finished reading Alienated America by Tim Carney. In it, Carney explores what makes “some place thrive while others collapse”. His final verdict: community and what he calls “institutions of civil society”. Armed with data and statistics, as well as personal encounters with Americans from all over the geographic and socioeconomic spectrum, Carney finds that alienation and the loss of civil society is contributing to a whole host of social problems, including “deaths of despair”: suicide, drug overdoses and alcohol abuse-related deaths.
He bemoans the closing of churches, American Legion posts, and bowling leagues. According to Carney, people getting involved in their local communities and neighborhoods is the right step forward.
Christians can learn from Carney’s analysis. Even though Carney’s goal seems to be spreading more of the “good life” (American Dream) around, Christians can employ his strategies to help bring redemption to society’s brokenness. Carney is fond of alluding to Jeremiah 29:7 which instructs Israelite exiles to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
When we look with unease on the national political stage we can get depressed with the direction we appear to be heading in. Our national politics, dominated by the actions of the President and Congress, will often cause some anxiety due to distance.
Trust me, I live only two and a half hours from the nation’s capital and I still feel like it’s a world away.
When we feel so disengaged from the drama playing on the national stage, it’s tempting to succumb to fear and anxiety. After all, disengagement leaves us feeling so powerless.
Instead, the church can turn to our neighbors. Those who are close and build Gospel-saturated communities where we actually have the best chance of making a deep impact on people’s lives. Evangelists who “go high” and reach millions are rare. Most Christians will do best to “go low” and reach for the lost that are in reach: the ones on our block.
Love the Lowest
It’s easy to get caught up in the great dramas of our times and neglect the brokenness that hides behind the curtain. The church is an instrument of redemption, healing, and worship in the world, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.
Trump’s presidency may have distracted some Christians from this mandate for the lowly. After all, with such power and opportunity, just think of what we could achieve!
And yet, God’s kingdom was not built from Capitol Hill or the White House. It is built everyday when freedom is preached to the captives and recovery of sight is afforded to the blind. When the poor are fed and introduced to the Bread of Life, an eternal impact is made.
Humble Christians can continue to love the least of these regardless of whether or not we can pass bills in the Congress. (Once again, I’m not dismissing the importance of good laws or the passage of pro-life legislation.)
We can learn much from the example of Jesus who did not lead a political revolution but afforded salvation to his people through ordinary acts of lowly love, even to the point of sacrificial death.
The Power is Inside You
Christian, go low.
Embrace humility, work locally, and love the least in your midst.
Don’t chase political power and don’t despair when it escapes your grasp. The true power is inside you (1 Thessalonians 1:5). The Holy Spirit is alive in the hearts of God’s people and the word of God is living with great power.
“No fear” can be our anthem because of God’s love which has overcome the world (2 Timothy 1:7).
Rest assured, Christians, we are more than conquerors through his love (Romans 8:37).