Votes and Polls

Unless you live in a cave someplace, I'm sure that you haven't been missing the daily play by play of the presidential primary season.  If you watch cable news, the horse race coverage goes around the clock, but in all news formats it is several times per week.  Of course in Michigan we voted last week.  In the build up it seemed that every last commercial was for one candidate or the other.  Then the net day they were gone.  On to the next states down the list.

Like most people, I have strong political convictions along with definite opinions on the pros and cons of the various candidates.  But this isn't a political blog, so I will keep those opinions to myself.  What I really want to write about is the break down of the election results.  

When people vote there are those who conduct exit polls.  They ask people leaving the voting site who they voted for.  They also ask about their background and opinions about several issues.  So we see that women supported this candidate or twenty-somethings supported that candidate and so on.  But the one that always gets me is the votes of Christians.

So to get on the list, you have to be someone who is willing to talk to the pollster, and willing to reveal how they voted and who describes themselves as a Christian.  So with that in mind I continue to be confused with people who claim Christ as their lord and savior but support people and policies that go against His teachings.

There are topics that we as believers disagree about.  Some baptize babies and others adults.  Some believe in confession to God alone and in private, while others believe that confession is done vocally to another believer.  We disagree and the discussion of those disagreements helps us all clarify our faith.   

However, their is one teaching of Christ that we can all agree upon.  Love.  Christ tells us that we need to show love.  First to God.  Then to each other.  Christ sent all believers on a mission.  We need to demonstrate the love of God and through that others will know Him.  I don't understand how candidates can enthusiastically advocate violence and hate, and still attract Christians.

Watch this clip from Pastor Chris.

We are on a mission to show the love of Christ.  I know the world is a complicated place.  And maybe I'm too naive.  But I think that anytime that we call ourselves Christians we need to represent His values and ideas as well.