Christian voters’ guide
Rev. Kelley J. Lackey II
Friday, October 31, 2008
By the Rev. Kelley J. Lackey
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
As we come to the final week of a presidential campaign that has seemingly gone on since the last presidential election, I would like to say a few words about how Christians should vote.
Many religious groups produce guides that give voters a list of candidates they should vote for. These names are usually chosen because of their positions and/or voting records on certain specific issues. These groups try to present candidates and their positions in such clear cut ways that one can’t help but think that one candidate or party is Christian while the others are obviously not. Furthermore, these groups usually imply that if you do not vote for the candidates listed in their guides, you may not really be a Christian yourself. With the amount of information, propaganda, and smear that comes out of a political campaign, it may be tempting to have someone tell us how to vote as Christians. Indeed, I have been asked more than once who I am going to vote for in the upcoming election. I think that often when I am asked this, I am actually being asked who I think the inquirer should vote for.
But instead of issuing a voter guide and tell you who I think you should vote for, I would like to propose a process by which a Christian should go about voting. The first thing a Christian should do before voting (or anything else for that matter) is pray. If you are not sure what you should pray, here is a prayer from the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer, “Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States and this community in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” The second thing a Christian should do is consult scripture, especially if a particular scripture has been used to support or reject a political position. Proof texting, that is, using a snippet of scripture out of its larger context to argue one’s own agenda, is a way that the Bible gets used a lot in politics. If you are not familiar with scripture, how the church came to inherit it, and how the church uses it, get familiar with it! A frighteningly large numbers of Christians are unfamiliar with their own sacred texts and are vulnerable to having it hijacked and used as a means to someone else’s (including some well intending religious leaders) ends. The third thing a Christian should do is pray some more. The fourth thing a Christian should do is ask if the positions of the candidates seem to match up with the first and great commandment given by Jesus, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel : The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31) The fifth thing a Christian should do is pray some more. Pray that God will send the Holy Spirit to help one discern what is right and that God’s will may be done no matter who one votes for or who ultimately wins. The final thing you should do is vote… and do it prayerfully. I’m Father Kelley Lackey and I approve this message.
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Kelley J. Lackey II of the of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
smith_ron (anonymous) says...
Amen!
October 31, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )