God Voted Early

Well, this is just awful. The election I mean. It has a decidedly Romans 1 feel. As in, “God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not be done.” This is a terrifying truth, but God has always given us the freedom of our own choices. When Israel clamored for a king, a king is what they got. And he was awful. Despite our most earnest prayers, God does not always “defeat us in those things which are evil.” Apparently, our relationship with him is of such integrity that he lets us have our way, even when our way is hell bent. My Calvinist friends will most certainly object, but as many are fond of saying these days, I am on the right side of history on this one.

So here we are, left with two choices, the third and fourth party candidates notwithstanding; a vulgar-mouthed misogynistic materialist and a serially deceitful hypocritical abortion proponent. I’d like to think America deserves better, but given our recent history, I’m not so sure. For years now, the Academy has been deconstructing meaning, assuring us that there is no absolute truth – that all truth claims are nothing more than power struggles between competing hegemonies. (No, I do not know what a hegemony is, but I heard a lot about it when I was in grad school. Apparently, it is to blame for all that is wrong in the world.)

A professor I had in seminary, brilliant and well-known in his field, once stated in a lecture that there are no absolutes, that meaning is up for grabs.

I raised my hand and asked, “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” he said.

The story tellers who do more to shape the values of our culture than anyone, Hollywood luminaries and musical artists, media celebrities and journalists have, for years now, been lampooning the values that were once widely accepted if not consistently practiced. Our story tellers have been telling us a story, alright. Their basic plot line is this; anything between two consenting adults is okay as long as nobody gets hurt. That assumes a lot. Humans routinely consent to things that hurt. “Hurt” is a notoriously squishy term. We are lousy at judging what is good or bad for us. And if she could speak, I’m pretty certain a fetus would tell you that somebody gets hurt in an abortion.

So here we are in this awful awfulness. You wanted to be free of all those old fashioned, moralistic social codes America? You got it. Welcome to paradise.

Still, there are many whose moral compasses are calibrated to a more traditional setting, many who still believe there is such a thing as true truth. We are asking, “Who would God vote for?” I know the answer.

God is for Donald Trump.

And God is for Hillary Clinton.

God is for Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton for the same reasons God is for you and me. Is there anything in your past that you are ashamed of? Have you ever entertained a prurient thought, uttered a lewd evaluation, lusted in your heart? Me, too.

Have you ever publicly taken one position because it was popular but, privately, embraced another? Have you ever compromised what you believed because conviction was inexpedient? Claimed solidarity with a cause just to look good? Preached but didn’t practice? Me, too.

Here is the truth that gets lost in all our political defensiveness, posturing and self-righteousness – Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are precious image bearers of God. His image in them has been distorted, befouled and damaged. They are separated from God and it breaks His heart. And there is nothing in the world that can save them. Mr. Trump doesn’t have enough money. Mrs. Clinton doesn’t have enough clout.

But they can be saved.

You are welcome to disagree, but I do not think God has a preferred candidate in this election. He is more concerned about the souls of the candidates than the candidates’ poles. Without Jesus, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are hopelessly lost. With Jesus, they can be gloriously saved, the Divine image restored, her integrity mended and his vulgarity sanctified.

Let’s just stop all our social media cleverness, all the “Oh-my-God-how-could-he-how-could-she” sanctimony, and focus on the heartbreaking brokenness of these two people. Do they deserve our mercy? No, not really. Their brokenness has made them awful people. But your brokenness and mine, though far less public, are no less awful. And we don’t deserve mercy either. But that’s what God gave us. That’s what God wants to give Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton.

God is for you. God is for me. God is for them.

I know that because He voted early.

His ballot was a cross.

He signed it in blood.