How Not To Be a Jerk During the Election

The angry season is upon us. For the next 15 months, we will be witness to attacks, accusations, allegations and indictments – both the rhetorical and, perhaps, the legal variety.  Yes, it’s Presidential Election time once again in the U.S. Granted, we have been blessed by our foresighted forefathers with a bloodless means of exchanging power. For this, we should be grateful. In other countries, the losers are tossed into a hole and covered with dirt. Here, they are tossed onto the lecture circuit and covered with money. So it could be worse. But it can also be tons better. Here’s how not to be a jerk during the election.

You should know that I am qualified to address our jerkiness because I am the chiefest of sinners. I can talk about the ill effects of this particular sin for the same reason I can talk about racism, gender bias, marital struggle, impure thoughts, unwholesome language, pride, envy, sloth, gluttony, coarse jesting and a host of other scriptural violations. I didn’t just go there and get the tee-shirt; I paved new roads and wrote the travel guide.

So I know whereof I speak. Plus, I’m a political junkie. I know who my senators and representatives are. I probably know who yours are, too. I have strong opinions – strong like barf-flavored jelly beans. I mean real strong. Donald Trump’s hair spray strong. Strong and wild – like Bernie Sanders’ hair wild. I keep up. I think you should, too. At the very least, it is our duty as citizens of the United States of America.

But we are also – and primarily – citizens of another Kingdom; God’s Kingdom. We were given not only a new life in Jesus, but are called to a new lifestyle. That new way of living should inform and impact every facet of our lives, including how we handle our first amendment freedom of expression.

Don’t Go Filterless

Speaking of free speech, I’m all for it. I don’t want anyone to limit what you or I can and cannot say, blog, post, publicize, preach, paint, draw, dramatize, mime, or otherwise express. But that doesn’t mean that we should say (blog, post, publicize, etc.) every single thing that pops into our heads. So the first thing you need to do to avoid being a jerk this election season is to practice sanctified self-censorship.

Ephesians 4:29 is a good Kingdom filter through which to strain your thoughts. Do not let any unwholesome talk (or type) come out of your mouths (or keyboards), but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (or read).

That picture of an American-flag-bedecked Jesus riding an angry-eyed eagle while firing a fully automatic AR-15 really speaks to you. In fact, you are thinking of posting it on your Facebook page. Will that build others up according to their needs? Probably not. Nor will that Jesus ♥ Che Guevara Tee Shirt you’re thinking of wearing to church because . . . social justice.  A lot of what we post on our social media pages (or put on our car bumpers) undermines our message.

It’s kind of hard to say, “Jesus loves you and wants to give you the free gift of a right relationship with God,” followed by, “you’re a Nazi and your leader is the antichrist.” To be perfectly frank, the only time in history when an ass ushered in the good news was at the Triumphal Entry.

Truthiness or Truth?

Second, before you re-tweet, re-post, snapchat or report anything that seems to corroborate your suspicions or justify your primal disapproval of any politician or political position, it’s a good idea to confirm its truthfulness. Say you come across an online article that purports to uncover a secret connection between a conservative politician and the Ku Klux Klan. Or your favorite pundit reports that a well-known progressive once recited excerpts from Mao at a Wiccan ceremony. Where a copy of the U.S. Constitution and a King James Bible were ritually desecrated. On a pentagram made of barf-flavored jelly beans.

“I knew it,” you hiss.

Before you start spreadin’ the news, verify it. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can’t believe everything you read on the internet.” (Or was it Jefferson?) Just because it fits your narrative doesn’t mean something is true. And even if it IS true, does it really disqualify that individual? So a politician you don’t agree with once said or did something he/she regrets. Ask yourself this question: If it was my guy/gal who said or did X, would I pass it off as a youthful indiscretion, an unrepresentative mistake, a misspeaking? If you’d let your side off with a warning, why would you hold the other side to a higher standard?

Don’t Delight in Evil

You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when a leading figure of the opposition party is caught red handed, takes a fall, exposed for the faker he/she is? It’s nice, isn’t it? We just love us some comeuppance. It’s like attending NASCAR in the hopes that someone will have a big wreck, or watching that video of a supermodel falling all over herself on the runway. Proverbs 24:17 – 18 seems appropriate just here: Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them. Besides, it pretty much sounds like delighting in evil, which is a thing love does not do.

Thank God for the Scoundrels

Finally, besides NOT saying some things, verifying others and refraining from celebrating another’s disaster, just pray – especially for politicians you don’t agree with and/or don’t like. Paul urged that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving (!) be made for . . . kings and all those in authority, (1 Timothy 2:1 – 2). I’m pretty sure the despot on the throne at the time was (a) not an Evangelical Christian, (b) not terribly interested in equality of any sort nor justice of any kind, and (c) would not be welcome to speak at your party’s convention next summer. Yet Paul urged the Christians in Ephesus to pray for him. I take it, then, that you and I should spend more time talking up our leaders to God than we spend talking them down to each other.

Here’s the deal: both parties will, in some way, try to appropriate Jesus to support their agendas. I believe that falls under the category of taking the Lord’s name in vain. Jesus is not a Republican. He’s not a Democrat. He’s not even an American. He’s the Son of God, the Savior of the Whole World, and I know He loves you regardless of your political affiliations. By all means, do all you can to let Him inform your political views. But more than that, channel His love to everyone you meet. Whether they sign off on your platform or not. If we’ll all do that, maybe this won’t be such an angry season after all.