Some Post-Election Thoughts

I wrote this to my sister a few days ago. I won't paste the mail in its entirety, but it pretty much sums up my thoughts regarding the debacle that was our 2008 Presidential election:

Last night was an utter abomination for those of us who are conservative in our politics. It seems like our country is giving so-called "right-wingers" an ultimatum (or perhaps, just the finger) regarding our views. The amendment in Colorado which would have made the definition of "human" as starting at fertilization was TROUNCED (27% support), and the other governmental reforms were overturned. It was pretty sad. In addition, we now have a socialist-controlled government. We'll see what happen over the next few months/years. It's likely to get harder.

We Christians (the right-wing voters, including myself) have always assumed we have a "safety net" in our life here. Let's face it: this is the land of the free. We have First Amendment rights, don't we? We have freedom to worship as we please, and to tell people the truth without any consequences. This is America--we are a Constitution-led federal republic. But these words (the Bill of Rights and Constitution) are only words, unless they are truly believed by those who enforce them. The new government doesn't (and I'm not convinced the Republicans do either). We often hear about the Constitution as the be-all and end-all for our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It's an amazing document, but...it's still just a document. The Constitution gives us no more rights than the government is willing to provide. Unfortunately, the new government will likely revoke what liberties we have.

For Christians, however, the Constitution, though a wonderful example of what God-fearing men can do with a government in a depraved world, is of middling importance. Will we face higher taxes over the next few years? Yep. Will we face increasing energy costs? Yep. Will we see our "free speech" rights restricted? Yep. But what does this mean for us as God's children? Well, it means life is going to be harder...no doubts about that. But our calling from the Lord remains: "'...make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.'"

But let's face it, we have no guarantee in life which says we will get the majority of our earnings, or have access to cheap energy, or have local grocery stores filled with food. Our prosperity in this country has given Christians (and believe me, I'm 100% included in this) a false sense of security regarding our life and comfort here. Yeah, we might have some opposition when talking to people about Jesus, but this is America. We can still attend the church of our choice without penalty. We can still talk to people on the street without getting arrested. We can still shop at the local store and buy what we need for our existence. We can work and take home the fruits of our labor. We live in America--we can say we trust the Lord to provide, but...we don't necessarily need to back it up with real faith because...this is America.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not knocking America. I don't want to live anywhere else, and I think the Founding Fathers had insight into the nature of power-based corruption and did what they could to minimize it. Unfortunately, their dream of America is flawed and unsustainable. Depraved mankind will not allow it.

I think American Christians have viewed their lives here as a form of "heaven on earth," where "live and let live" has been the norm. There's nothing wrong with prosperity and wealth--America has done more for helping raise the standard of living worldwide than any other country. America has also sent out more missionaries than any other nation. We have a rich heritage to be thankful for. But...this isn't heaven and we can't assume it will always be this way. And when life takes a turn for the worse, we should respond with faith and trust in the Lord's ultimate provision for our families and for the time when He will finally put to death all evil and sin. This is our hope and our

There's a law in physics which says, "everything is moving toward decay." Entropy is built into our reality--the heat given off by the sun for the growth of our crops (and for boiling Las Vegas ;) reveals the reality of its terminal state. Our world is dying and will continually move toward chaos and evil. The only real force in place stemming the tide is the Lord--not lower taxes, First Amendment rights, or limited government.

This is something which has slapped me hard in the face over the last 24 hours; the verse in Psalm 20:7 says, "Some boast in chariots, some in horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God." This has really challenged me to abandon my preconceived disposition to a comfortable life here. I don't think it's wrong to desire a peaceful life, but the Lord is ultimately in control...not our government.

Anyway, don't be troubled. The Lord is OUR shepherd and He will provide for our needs. The government will tear away every pound of flesh it can, but we have a future HOPE which cannot be taken from us.