FAITHFUL CITIZENS

Dr. Richard J. Henderson October 19, 2008

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Psalm 99
Matthew 22:15-22

Introduction

Good news! We are coming to the end of a long political campaign. The election is just seventeen days away. Soon the TV screen will not be filled with promises and outlandish claims and, worst of all, ugly personal attacks back and forth. Soon we'll be able to get back to the peace and quiet of commercials for detergent, furniture, and boxes of cereal. Well, yes, there will still be those screaming car salesmen. (Why do they feel the need to always shout?)

As we approach the election our faith affects the issues that concern us in the campaign.

I

As Christians we don't just cast a "ME vote." We aren't just concerned about what we will get, what will benefit us, and which candidate promises to do the most for me personally.

Instead, we have a bigger picture: what's good for our country as a whole, which proposals are most fair for all the people, what will most likely bring peace, which plans will help those who can't help themselves. We think and vote beyond our self-interests to concerns for freedom, care for those who suffer by no fault of their own, and what's best for everyone's children.

As Christians we don't just think about ourselves - who'll get us the most - but the overall good.

II

A politician stands before a reporter who holds a microphone in front of his face. The politician says, "I take my faith very seriously, but it doesn't affect how I vote on the issues - my faith is very personal."

That comment baffles me. If we take our faith seriously it will affect all of our lives - every decision we make. What we believe impacts our time, relationships, our work, our wallets and our approach to social issues.

Faith can't be locked away in a private box. We have to live our faith in the real world. Christian faith influences how we think about freedom, poverty, health care, war, and injustice. Jesus demands that we treat people fairly and that fairness and a sense of justice will be involved in almost any tax cut or spending proposal.

Faith held in isolation is not faith lived. We don't compartmentalize our faith in God and make it separate from how we live our lives and make our decisions. If a politician says, "My faith doesn't affect my voting," I have to ask what kind of faith that is.

Faith, because it is faith, affects the decisions we make, the standards we hold, and the issues we are concerned about. It seems to me that saying my faith doesn't influence my voting is like saying I care deeply about children, but that doesn't affect how I feel about education or child care, or child abuse.

III

We have people of faith in both parties who care about and vote for issues related to their faith. It might surprise you to know that two drastically different politicians are working together to end hunger. George McGovern, one of the most liberal Democrats, and Bob Dole, a solid conservative Republican, have written a book together titled, Ending Hunger Now. They are on the road together speaking to audiences all across the country about this issue.

Faith has led them both to a passion for those who are starving and those who aren't able to find enough to eat. McGovern and Dole demonstrate how hunger can be wiped out in our lifetimes and they are campaigning tirelessly to help that happen.

Because of their faith they are trying to implement the mandates that Jesus gave us. Jesus calls us to be concerned about freedom, fairness, the value of life, hunger, and the despair of poverty. He raised issues of forgiveness, hope, and cooperation. Our faith doesn't determine our political party, but it does highlight the issues we care about.

Conclusion

Grace Thomas died several years ago. Hers isn't a household name, but in Georgia forty years ago just about everybody knew her. Her father was a streetcar operator and she was one of five children. When she grew up she worked as a clerk in a government office. She enjoyed the legal atmosphere and became interested in the law and politics so she signed up for night classes at a local law school. She went to school part-time for years before she graduated, but finally she got her law degree.

In 1954 she decided to run for governor of Georgia. Eight men and Grace were in the race. This was shortly after the Supreme Court ruled on Brown vs. Board of Education, which desegregated schools, and most Georgians were furious. Grace ran saying that the decision was good and fair and just, and that people should welcome it. Her campaign slogan was, "Say Grace at the polls." Not many people did though, and she came in last.

Eight years later the civil rights movement was underway and Grace ran for governor again. Her platform was racial harmony and it was very controversial. One day she made a campaign appearance in Louisville, Georgia, and she spoke from the spot where years before human beings were auctioned off - slaves were bought and sold.

"The old has passed away, and the new has come," she said. "This place represents all about our past over which we must repent. A new day is here, a day when Georgians white and black can join hands to work together."

One angry member of the crowd interrupted her speech to shout at her, "Are you a communist?" She stopped and looked at the man. She said, "No, I am not."

The heckler shouted again, "Then where'd you get those gall-durned ideas?" Grace paused for a moment. Then she turned toward a church that stood nearby. She said, "I got them over there; in Sunday school." (1)

What we believe as Christians strengthens our relationship with God. It affects our spiritual growth, worship, and prayer. It also affects how we live our lives, the concerns we have for others, and the way we vote.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2008