I hate Clinton! I hate Trump!

Let me start by saying I call my blog The Pastor's Pen because I am primarily writing to men and women who follow Jesus.  I believe that God has tasked me with the job of caring for and leading His people, so I do my best to write to that end.  However, I also have a number of friends who don't share my allegiance to Jesus or my worldview, so I also write for them too.  I want them to at least understand, not only my point of view, but my heart commitments as well.  But these thoughts are directed primarily to you Christ-followers.

One of the things that is so pervasive on social media this election season is hatred.  Maybe you think that word is too strong, but dislike just doesn't cut it.  People loath Clinton or detest Trump with a vitriol that I don't ever remember seeing.  But it's not just Clinton and Trump that people seem to hate--they seem to hate anyone and everyone else who supports the other candidate, or who doesn't agree with them.  The disdain that the pro-Clintons have for the 'Make America Great Again' Trump squadron is palpable.   The contempt of the Trump force toward the Clinton throng is equally tangible.   But we can go a step further and say people who would never vote for Clinton, but are known as the #NeverTrump crowd, are equally hostile to the Trump "deplorables," and vice versa. 

Now the point of the post isn't to argue for or against Clinton-Trump.  The point of this post is to say to you followers of Jesus, lose the hatred.  Lose the vitriol. We were called to so much more than that.  I came across these verses in my Bible reading this morning: "Remind [those who follow Jesus] to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men" (Titus 3:1-2).  Why don't you read that again before you move on?  I don't care how much you are for Trump or how unqualified you might think Clinton to be; I don't care how wonderful a president you think Clinton might make or how disastrous you think it might be if Trump were at the helm; those of you who follow Jesus, your allegiance is to Jesus alone.

Notice how Jesus calls us to malign no one.  Notice how He says we should be known for our peaceable demeanor and our gentle hearts.  When He says we are to show consideration for all men I think God is calling us to civility, and even to a supernatural kindness.  In the words of Jesus, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).  You would do well to actually read most of that chapter where Jesus concludes, "Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:35-36).

Some of you think that I might be saying we can't be passionate or speak the truth.  You misunderstand.  Speak up, but lose the odious rhetoric.   Make your point but jettison the rudeness and hateful speech.  Stop assassinating people's character, disparaging their children and spreading slander that you don't even know to be true.  Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's real or true, but even if it is we who follow Jesus don't slander others or gossip.  And just because others are doing it, just because conservative and liberal websites are producing it, I am not obligated to pass it on.

I write to you my brothers and sisters because we are different.  The love of Jesus has been poured out in our hearts.  We are not driven by the selfishness and the anger that motivates too many in our world.  We are not of this world.  This world is not our home.  Let's live like it.  Let's talk like it.  Stand up and speak the truth passionately, but "speak the truth in love" (Eph.4:15).   "Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person" (Col.4:6).  "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe" (1 Tim.4:12).

Can I tell you who to vote for?

Who are you voting for President on November 8th, 2016?  I can’t ever remember an election with so many candidates.  At one point the Republicans had sixteen contestants and the Democrats five, with yet another one in the wings quite possibly choosing to run.  So many choices so who should I support?

First, let me urge you to vote.  I’ve spoken with many folks over the years who are disillusioned with politics and so today they are disconnected from the political process.   I believe what too often what led them to that place was unrealistic expectations.  They believed that politics, and maybe more specifically a specific politician, was the answer to all that ails our country.  "If only we could get so-and-so elected," but then when we do he isn't able to accomplish much or worse, he disappoints us terribly.   When it comes to the political process what we need is balance.  On the one hand we need to realize that public policy and government is not the ultimate director for the trajectory of our country.  Don’t put your ultimate hope in any political leader or party.  On the other hand, we need to acknowledge that public policy and governmental leadership do make a difference.   Because of his policies and appointments, there is little argument that President Obama has affected the moral revolution in our land in substantive ways.  So, don’t put your ultimate hope in any leader but also, don’t throw up your hands in a ‘who cares’ attitude.  One of the great hallmarks of our country is that we are a government chosen by the people.  Let’s all be that ‘people’ and a simple way to do so is to vote.  

Ok, so who should you vote for?

Vote for someone who shares your same worldview.  Your worldview is that lens through which you see and judge everything that’s happening around you; it is the framework from which one views reality and make sense of life and the world.  If you see the world from a naturalistic and secular perspective, then vote for someone who will govern from an irreligious, materialistic point of view.  On the other hand, if you hold to a Biblical worldview, and believe that God not only exist but has actively revealed His will for the flourishing of humanity, make sure you vote for someone who sees through that same lens.  A person’s worldview will affect their decision-making in every area of life, from moral and social decisions to governmental structures and budgetary choices.  Obviously no two people will agree on everything but vote for someone who is at least looking at the world through the same lens as you.

Vote for someone who lives your same morality.  I’ll confess that our morality really flows from our worldview so in all honesty this is a nuance of my first point.   I’m mentioning it only because I’ve noticed that even when people claim to have a certain worldview, they operate with a morality inconsistent with that worldview.  I know that we all tend to prioritize moral judgments.  I continually hear that evangelicals, for example, elevate the defense of life, and particularly the unborn, to the exclusion of all other moral issues.  I accept the axiom that it is incumbent upon us to look at a great assortment of moral choices but I also know that we can’t get around evaluating and prioritizing the evil nature of those same choices.  For instance the Bible says that lying is morally wrong and so is murder but most all of us would say that murder is a graver moral evil than lying.  So vote for a candidate who sees moral issues most similarly to you and who has a track record of doing so.

One parenthesis here, if I may.  Though we rank moral evil, and at least at some level so does God in the outworkings of our world, the Biblical worldview says that one sin, any sin, all sin has the same devastating effect-- it separates us from a holy, sinless God.  So we may rank and prioritize sin but even the least of sins puts us in need of a savior and this is why Jesus came.  Jesus most assuredly came to reveal God to us but more specifically He came to offer His morally perfect life as a substitute for all of our moral failures.  The Bible says all of us have sinned.  All of us are liars, and cheats, and thieves and when we stand before God who is perfect and sinless, we will all be judged and condemned.  Jesus is the one who offered himself a Savior for us all.

Vote for someone who offers solutions with confidence and grace.  We live in a country with different worldviews and that division is great.  Vote for a leader who demonstrates wisdom in the solutions he offers and grace in the way he presents himself.  So many people tell me that a humble man cannot be president but honestly, in my Biblical worldview I believe that God gives grace to the humble leader.  Don’t confuse humility with weakness.  Moses was called a humble man yet he led the Israelites for decades.  Jesus, the Son of God, humbled himself.   These men and others have been powerful leaders but their lives and demeanor were peppered with grace and humility.  Listen to the candidates and vote for the one who you believe has wise solutions to many of the problems that weigh on us as a nation.

I know you thought I was going to name a name, but I’ll refrain.  Instead I challenge you to vote intentionally as I delineated above.  Vote wisely.  Vote with forethought and long-range vision. 

"I HATE OBAMA," said the Christian!

I am one who considers himself a follower of Jesus.  Many would call me an evangelical because I believe the Bible to be true and what it shares really good news.  But that’s not the point of this article—just the perspective from which I write.

I’m writing about something I see often in the circles I find myself—I’m calling it, “Obama hatred.”   Since I’m talking about Christian circles, you’d think that hatred would not be known among us but I hear it too often in simple comments about our President and I see it in contorted countenances as people describe their vehement hostility toward the man.   It’s not uncommon to hear and read disparaging remarks about his character, motives and intentions from professing Christians.

So I’m writing this primarily for people who claim to follow Jesus.  Let me tell you three things I know about President Obama; three things that I believe he’d absolutely agree with and we need to be reminded of.

President Obama has a different worldview than we Bible-believing Christians.  That’s important to understand.  We believe that truth and perspective come from God’s revelation; I would imagine that he sees truth coming from human reason and societal consensus, but definitely not from the Bible.

What our President has done he’s done because he believes his worldview is right and the best.  In other words, his motives aren’t to destroy America but to make her better from his perspective.  Obviously that doesn’t make him right and that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to stop the moral and cultural shift that’s happening in our land, but we need to recognize that he’s merely leading from the standpoint of his worldview.

President Obama does not stand by himself in his worldview as twice now the America people have voted him into office.  This is important.  He’s our President and he’s our leader, but he’s just one man.  The hatred I’ve seen from some comes because they blame him for the shift that’s happened in our country but he’s merely the leader of a worldview that many Americans now share.

So if you are a follower of Christ, and you find yourself hating President Obama, I want to challenge that hatred and encourage you to change your heart.  Let me give you three reasons why.

The heart of Jesus

Did you know that Jesus loves our President?  He died for him.  God includes him in the  “whosever will may come" words of John chapter three.   Not only does Jesus not hate President Obama, His great love for him led Jesus to die for him—even as Jesus also died for you and me.

The example of Jesus

You’ll look long and hard for an example of Jesus hating Caesar or even the High Priest for that matter.  If our Savior wouldn’t hate the political leaders of His day, what makes us think He wants us to hate our political leaders?  Not to mention that on the very day those political leaders were killing him, he was praying “Father forgive them.”

The words of Jesus

It was to a big crowd that Jesus spoke these words: “You’ve heard it said, ‘Hate your enemies’ but I say to you, love your enemies and do good to those who despise you.”  Wow--love your enemies.  Jesus was clear, so why do we think we have a right to hate our president, even if his worldview and leadership are so different than ours?

Ok, “I see it,” you say.  “Hating our President is not an option for the one who follows Jesus.”  But what should I do?  Do I have to stand idly by and do nothing as I watch our President lead us into a cultural change that I believe is very wrong for America?”   Of course not!  As an American you have every right to participate in the political process and you should.  When God calls us to submit to our government, as part of a democratic republic I have an obligation, even a duty, to participate.  I should speak the truth in love.  I should hold up a better alternative then the one provided by a secular worldview.

But as a Christ follower my greatest allegiance is to Jesus, and He says I should respect those in authority.  More specifically, the Bible tells us to pray for them  (1 Tim. 2).  Instead of hating President Obama and denigrating him with our words, we should uphold him in prayers.  We should pray for his leadership.  Pray for his wife and girls.  Pray and ask God to work through him and in him.  Jesus told us to do good to our enemies, so find ways to bless the President rather than destroy him with your words.  In your heart separate President Obama, the man whom God loves, from the ideology and worldview that guides his leadership.   Labor against his philosophy and policies but ask God to give you an extraordinary love for the man himself.