The events of the past several weeks has been so abnormal I wonder…is this simply the new normal? After an assassination attempt on Pres. Trump the Secret Service is being found faulty. Pres. Trump and his running mate are widely celebrated during the recent Republican Party National Convention.
Pres. Biden withdraws as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in 2024. He quickly endorses his 2020 running mate and current Vice Pres Kamala Harris. The Democratic Party National Convention occurs in just a few week.
One writer reminds us
Americans claim that we are more divided than we have been since the Civil War, but forget that the lifetime after the Civil War saw the loudest, roughest political campaigns in our history. From the 1860s through the early 1900s, presidential elections drew the highest turnouts ever reached, were decided by the closest margins, and witnessed the most political violence. Racist terrorism during Reconstruction, political machines that often operated as organized crime syndicates, and the brutal suppression of labor movements made this the deadliest era in American political history. The nation experienced one impeachment, two presidential elections “won” by the loser of the popular vote, and three presidential assassinations.[1]
Confusing times are not abnormal for American democracy. The weeks and months leading up to the 2024 election will generate more heat than light. Accusations from both sides are already the leading headlines in most major news sources. These back and forth volleys will only intensify until the November election.
As Jesus followers you and I can make a difference in the midst of the uncertainty of this political season. We can make a difference by modeling conversations focused on the truths than bind us together instead of the policy challenges that often separate us. We can demonstrate what it means to disagree agreeably.
As Jesus followers we evaluate every candidate and every policy – from the local elections and initiatives to the highest office in the land – by Jesus’ standards. We can disagree about the most effective policies to combat the various social ills in our culture. We will disagree about the best economic policies for our current climate. Jesus’ standards remind us that this world is not our final destination, that the experiences of this life will pale in comparison to the glorious experience of living in God’s presence for eternity. Jesus standards call us to care for the vulnerable, to exercise compassion for those who are hurting, to celebrate how God is working in and through our individual lives and our corporate lives as the people of God.
Confusion and uncertainty are no strangers to Jesus’ followers. Read the gospels and note how often even Jesus’ closest and earliest followers expressed uncertainty and confusion. Then read the book of Acts and watch as these uncertain and often confused men and women are transformed into confident and certain proclaimers of what truly matters most: Jesus!
[1] Grinspan, Jon. The Age of Acrimony: How Americans Fought to Fix Their Democracy, 1865-1915 (p. x). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.