Posted on October 29, 2024 by Andy Wyss
Godly Living
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The never-ending political ads and unwanted phone calls have people in a constant state of annoyance for months. You may feel like half of the country outwardly and vocally opposes you. Seemingly gone are the days when people could have differing political viewpoints, but still be civil to one another. Now it feels like the response is, “Oh, you’re a [insert political candidate here] supporter? I can’t be friends with someone who supports them.” The river of empathy for one another has run dry.
In my own family, I’ve heard both, “If Candidate A wins, I’m moving to [this country]” and, “If Candidate B wins, I’m moving to [that country].” Elections and their divisiveness can pile stress and anxiety on family and marital relationships.
When I was younger, I’m sure there were political ads, but I don’t remember them at all. I don’t remember having to care about politics, or even knowing who my parents voted for. I don’t remember being told to stay away from my neighbor or, “How dare the Johnson’s come to church when they support ‘that candidate’.” Maybe I was just naive as a kid, or didn’t have to care. But I believe that’s for the best. Our kids should have time to be kids. They should care about things like, “are we going outside for recess today?” instead of, “What are Candidate A’s economic policies going to do to dairy industry and the price of my chocolate milk?”
My family doesn’t watch a lot of TV, but I’ve noticed that my young children are heavily influenced by political ads. And because they hear both positive ads (where each candidate touts all the great things they’ve done) and negative ads (where each candidate tells us how the other candidate will burn our country to the ground), my children think every politician is both good and bad, both equipped and unfit to hold office. They come home from school having heard from their friends about how Candidate A wants us to be poor or Candidate B hates certain groups of people. They’re been trained to choose between the lesser of two evils. Again, maybe I was naive, but I don’t remember any of my friends even uttering the name of a politician until I was closer to the voting age.
[Jesus said:] You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:43-45
It’s hard to talk to those who seem to fundamentally disagree with us, with viewpoints that may even seem to threaten our faith, our way of life, our democracy, our freedom, you name it. Jesus’ message hasn’t changed just because the world has become more polarized. Jesus still calls us to love our enemies. To do good to those who hate us. To act more and react less. To stay in control by controlling our fears, our anger, our anxieties.
How are we supposed to do that? The answer is prayer.
Pray for your enemies, for your abusers. Pray for the politicians we hate, for neighbors who annoy us, for the criminals and thieves. For leaders and dictators threatening our world with war. Bless them, God. Pray for Biden, pray for Trump, pray for Harris, pray for Putin, pray for Netanyahu, pray for all of them. That their hearts may be touched by those they seemingly oppose. That they may feel Christ’s love in their lives. That they use their power to spread love and peace. That they govern with justice and compassion. As they create policies and legislation, let them defend the lives of all people, from womb to tomb. We all, myself included, need to pray not just for the people we like, but those we don’t. I’ll admit, it at first seemed strange praying for someone you oppose or would never vote for. But while it felt weird, it also felt powerful at the same time. Jesus’ call to bless our enemies and to pray for them could change the world. Number one, because prayer works for those we pray for. And number two, prayer works in us. It changes our perception of the world and of “the other side.”
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Romans 13:1
God is the authority behind the authority. When we wake up on November 6th, we will have winners and losers. Half of the country will be upset and start looking up flights to Canada. Pause and remember that, though imperfect in this fallen world, the government ultimately remains from God, instituted by God and God’s servant for your good.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
We know that the Roman government was instrumental in Christ’s crucifixion and was responsible for the persecution and death of many other early Christians, yet it remained from God, instituted by God and God’s servant for your good. Christ’s evil death worked the greatest good. So, we can be assured that God has a plan in it all. Whether your candidate wins or loses, know that God is ultimately in control.
I write this article, not as an expert on Political Science or Theology or even Mental Health. Which, by the way, if the political season is causing stress and strain on your life or your relationships, please reach out to our counseling team by calling 515-573-3138 or filling out our contact form. But I write this article as someone who wants to see our country be civil, kind to one another, love one another, and care for each other – just as Christ did for us. And to that I say, “God bless America.”
If you or someone you know would benefit from Christ-centered mental health counseling, refer to or contact us today.
Lutheran Family Service walks with those experiencing difficult times through mental health counseling, marriage counseling, crisis pregnancy counseling, and adoption services.
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