Dual citizenship compels me to vote in November...

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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (Romans 13:1-5 ESV)

I woke up this morning to the WWF soundbites that passed for highlights (!) of last night's Republican debate. What is the matter with these guys!! Where is the decorum? The presidential poise! The glimmer of character that can rise above the bullying, mudslinging, and face-saving?

I just finished reading a post (How Christians REALLY Feel About Donald Trump) to theologymix.com by Navy Chaplain Chaplain Chris Linzey, who writes: If Paul can urge Christians on to good conduct in spite of the authority at the helm of the government, should we do any less? Sometimes we act as if we, as American Christians, are above the biblical call to behave decently even towards those with whom we radically disagree. We treat political opposition in a vile manner. It’s like the presidential candidates who pretend to be God-fearing evangelicals in order to win the evangelical vote yet are horrible to each other on the debate stage, acting in ways that do NOT honor Christ.

Agreed. However, I am so disgusted by this campaign process, not only as a Christian citizen, but as an American citizen with a civic responsibility to participate, that at this moment I don't know if I can honestly say that I have the desire to let my voice be heard in the fall.

This week there a related article in Christianity Today popped up: Should Christians Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils? Both the blog post and this opinion piece are centered on the first chapter of Romans 13, which many tout as an edict declaring that our Christian and civic duties (with regard to electing leaders) are one and the same. They are not. We live in the center of the Venn diagram of the Two Kingdoms; we belong the City of God (Luther's "Kingdom to the Right"), but we are also citizens of the City of Man ("Kingdom to the Left"). On Election Day we Christians have a sacred duty (Deuteronomy 1:13) that outweighs our civic obligation to go to the voting booth. But it doesn't make my part any easier... I just can't see how God expects us to choose for our tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men from these candidates... I guess He just expects us to participate and He will take it from there... 

The Dallas Morning News published an opinion yesterday by Canadian-born Norman Wirzba, a professor of theology at Duke Divinity School, entitled Why we can now declare the end of ‘Christian America’ and which contained more than a few good points: 

Political leaders feel the need to appear Christian, say Christian-sounding things, show up at Christian institutions, and end their speeches with “God bless America!” American money proclaims “In God we trust.” What could be more Christian than that?

The current election cycle is demonstrating (once again) that the rhetoric and mythology of a uniquely Christian America should come to an end. Why? Because the votes don’t lie.

Though voters may speak piously and rather vaguely about Christian values and ideals, polls and election results communicate clearly that this is a nation consumed by fear, anger and suspicion, none of which are Christian virtues.

If voters were serious about presenting to the world a picture of a Christian America, they would need to be painting with the colors of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, gentleness and self-control, because these are the colors that, as the Apostle Paul said (in Galatians 5), witness to Jesus Christ and the power of God at work in their lives.

That last paragraph says it all. How can a Christian voter like me not become cynical and/or ambivalent through all of the pandering, slandering, and hyperbolizing?! 

Nearly a millenium ago, Martin Luther wrote these words (in a letter to "the Illustrious, High-born Prince and Lord, John, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen"), which are like a balm to my aching heart and will no doubt be on my mind when I drag myself to cast my vote in November-- begrudgingly, but with faith (my boldfacing): 

All who are not Christians belong to the kingdom of the world and are under the law. Since few believe and still fewer live a Christian life, do not resist the evil, and themselves do no evil, God has provided for non-Christians a different government outside the Christian estate and God’s kingdom, and has subjected them to the sword, so that, even though they would do so, they cannot practice their wickedness, and that, if they do, they may not do it without fear nor in peace and prosperity. Even so a wild, savage beast is fastened with chains and bands, so that it cannot bite and tear as is its wont, although it gladly would do so; whereas a tame and gentle beast does not require this, but without any chains and bands is nevertheless harmless. If it were not so, seeing that the whole world is evil and that among thousands there is scarcely one true Christian, men would devour one another, and no one could preserve wife and child, support himself and serve God; and thus the world would be reduced to chaos. For this reason God has ordained the two governments; the spiritual, which by the Holy Spirit under Christ makes Christians and pious people, and the secular, which restrains the unchristian and wicked so that they must needs keep the peace outwardly, even against their will. So Paul interprets the secular sword, Romans 13:3 , and says it is not a terror to good works, but to the evil.

So, hi-ho-hi-ho it'll be off to the polls I go... 

Amen.