As I write this, we are on the verge of waking up near the empty fire pit where the flames of liberty wondrously blazed a few nights before, to find out if the embers of our Constitutional Republic have been stomped to ashes or are still glistening with a shimmer of hope. Depending on who takes the oath of office come January, either we’re going to continue leaning in close to blow at the embers to ignite, or we’ll have to find a blanket because it’s about to get really cold. Jumping metaphors, I do believe that the dykes of our American political system protecting our liberties from widespread tyranny have been blown to bits one by one over the last century and a half, with the regulatory seawater encroaching all the more. I also believe that we have now come to the lynchpin of the main infrastructure, which if gives, will leave us all swimming with the sharks pretty soon.
In short, how we vote matters. With all that said, I don’t intend the next few paragraphs to be about why this is or isn’t the “most important election EVER”, as it is every election. Although that is a question worthy of using up some rotations of our planet for, for now I’ll rest with the fact that the church and the world have seen both times of prosperity and darkness before, and God sustains His own. Rather, I’d like to address a question that is a little bit closer to where the root cap quenches its thirst. Before arguing for the vitality of one candidate over the other (if you know what I mean), I’d feel parched if I first didn’t move to explain why we should even care about any of this. Should Christians be patriotic citizens involved in public life, or should they be friendly but disengaged neighbors focusing solely on their witness efforts? With some of my earlier posts, I think it’s clear where I land on this question. What might not be as clear yet on this here site of mine is the why behind it. Why is it not only permissible, but necessary for Christians to fill the shoes of an engaged citizenry?
If I were an intellectual, I might start by quoting our good friend Webster on the subject of patriotism. If I were to do that (again, that’s an “if”), he would say something along the lines of:
“patriot (noun): one who loves and supports his or her country”That’s a good starting point. Too bad that I’m a college dropout. I can’t credibly pursue the academic route. I’ll have to try another. I, of course, believe there to be multiple angles to come at this question regarding Christian Patriots, all having merit and weight. However, because I do try to limit my word count (I know, some of you may be surprised to hear that), and try my best not to ramble (just imagine if I didn’t try), I will focus my point on a single premise.
Any mild entertainer of history would have to set himself up as the recipient of his own lie if he would refuse to confess that Americans are among the most blessed collective group in the history of mankind since Adam’s dreadful day. Whichever way you look at it, the American way of life is supreme (including the average fast food order). The design of our Constitutional Republic is unmatched. The geographic resources we live on are amazing. The economic prosperity we experience is unprecedented. And the free flow of the gospel in and through our history has been the first of its kind. I love America and am thankful to have been grafted into this country. Like it or not, American exceptionalism is a thing. Western socio-economic policies outperform the competition, which means they’re actually better. Being unthankful to be an American would in fact be a problem all in itself.
But Americans are blessed not just with opportunities for consumption, but more importantly with resources ripe for productivity. Our system of government, our natural resources, our economic advancements, and the open opportunities for the Word of God are all materials we have been endowed with to work, invest, protect, and bring a return back to our Master. We have been given many talents, and have been told by our Lord, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:48b)
Americans have been given much, and in turn will be asked of much. Because we did not choose what we were given, we also don’t have the liberty to choose what we are to do with it. I didn’t choose to be born an American. That choice was made for me. It was made by my parents, yes, and ultimately by God. Unlike my fathers before me, the first ground my Russian flesh touched was American. The One who decided he wants my lungs to breath in air on this side of the globe, also decided that I am to not waste that breath, but to bring a return back to Him. I am to productively use and not squander my American blessings.
“But,” some might say, “you set up a false dichotomy. I can productively use my American blessings apart from knowing or caring about how I have them. I can publish sermons online, build a profitable business, provide for my family, and donate money overseas. I haven’t buried my talents if I’m focused on other things. After all, we don’t see Paul campaigning on behalf of government officials in his day.”
We also don’t see Paul publishing anything online, mostly because there wasn’t a way to do so. Apart of the vast wealth that the western world has produced, part of the blessings we’ve been given as Americans is the status of citizenry which brings with it an ability to participate in our Republic form of government. The reason why, as Christians, we can’t be complacent about elections is because we have the responsibility to not bury our talents, including the ones that set us up as a voting citizenry. If I were to leave my son with an income-generating inheritance, train him how to manage it profitably, and give him authority over it, would he bear any responsibility if he were to not care about what happens to the enterprise?
In a similar fashion, Americans have not just been blessed with an exceptional form of government (which in itself should drive gratitude-based action) but have also been given an opportunity to participate in that government – an opportunity which generates a responsibility to do so. Complacency, whether of the careless or the self-righteous type, seems to me to be an unacceptable response to the vast amount that we, as Americans, have been given. Patriotism – representing both gratitude and responsibility – is as much of a necessity in the life of an American Christian as an outfielder has in catching the ball.
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