Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. 

2 John 7-8 (NRSV)

I Voted Today

Some of you voted long before this day through mail-in ballots. And across this nation, folks are heading to the polls in many contested races. What will it be? Will it be a “referendum on the incumbents?” Will it be a “threat to the very democracy?” Perhaps one issue or another will dominate the polls the way they’ve dominated the discourse over the past several months.

One thing is certain: there will be winners, and there will be losers. The winners, in my opinion, will be those who follow their convictions and go out and participate. And really, that’s it. That’s the entire Pilgrim Church Voting Guide: please go and vote!

It’s One Thing to Pay Lip-service to Democracy…

It’s another entirely to participate to the best of your ability. This is precisely what so many have worked for: your right to go to the polls and to have your voice be heard. The more we stay away from the process, for whatever reason, the cheaper our democracy becomes. I have to be honest: I am embarrassed and ashamed at the voting rate in the United States. It’s far too low. And that shame comes not only from a civic conviction, but from a Christian conviction as well.

I believe voting is something that serious Christians take very seriously.

I am aware that in certain churches in certain parts of the country, the voting guide is far more explicit. That is, they’re recommending certain candidates over others. We don’t do that here. That’s not good separation of church and state. Instead, at Pilgrim Church, we seek to be of service to others. Government, when doing its job, serves the people in the way they most want to be served. The voting rates may have improved, but they should be higher. You can learn more at this Pew Research Center article.

Without the People’s Voices, The People Cannot Be Properly Governed

In the Second Epistle to John quote above, the author is warning the faithful that there’s one doctrine of Jesus Christ, and the church should follow it. They should follow it, the author says, because not only is it good and true teaching, but because if they don’t, they are throwing away the reward for all their hard work.

When I ask you to seek the face of Jesus in everyone you encounter, I’m reminding you that we are all connected. We have a duty to each other. One of the ways Christians have expressed that duty over the years is by voting.

I hope you’ll join me in this important endeavor. If we don’t engage in our free and fair elections, then someday, they might not be so free or even as fair.

Regardless of how you vote, please do so. We can’t be ‘We the People’ Without YOU!