wfn.org | UMNS# 04495-Commentary: When voting, ask right questions - and

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Commentary: When voting, ask right questions - and pray 

Oct. 26, 2004	 News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615) 7425470* 
Nashville {04495}

NOTE: A photograph of the Rev. William O. "Bud" Reeves is available at
http://umns.umc.org.

A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. William O. "Bud" Reeves*

Politics - electoral, congregational or denominational - is a very strange
game. 

We are in the midst of the political season, and to paraphrase the Scripture,
"Where two or three are gathered, there will be a political discussion." 

My dad used to tell me, "If you want to keep your friends, don't talk about
politics or religion." I already blew the religion part; now here I go on
politics!

Christianity has been a political force since the Roman Emperor Constantine
was converted in the 4th century. In the New Testament, there are admonitions
to honor those who are in positions of authority (Romans 13:1-7). Jesus said,
"Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things
that are God's" (Mark 12:17). 

Although the early Christians were mostly apolitical, the seeds of many major
socio-political movements are grounded in Scripture and the tradition of the
church. Can you imagine the abolition of slavery, the suffrage of women, or
civil rights without the Christian witnesses who populated those efforts?
Today there are many Christian organizations that are pushing a political
agenda. Isn't it fascinating?

Let me relieve any anxiety or confusion on your part by telling you how to
vote. Now, I am not self-destructive enough to endorse any particular
candidate, but I will give you my guidelines on how to make intelligent
choices at the polling booth. These should work for any Christian,
conservative, liberal, moderate or muddled.  

Beware the single-issue candidate. People with an ax to grind seldom make
good representatives of the whole people. Every issue is clouded by their
cause, which is always more complicated than it first appears. So the
single-issue candidate is often forced to change course, thus angering his or
her constituents, or stays on track for a train wreck.

Ask the right questions. The right question is not "What's in it for me?"
Yet, that is the way most of us approach politics: Which candidate is going
to make me more secure, wealthier, happier, etc.? More appropriate questions
should be asked about a candidate's stand on moral issues, the environment,
war and peace, education, or the economy. Admittedly, this is harder than
deciding who sounds or looks better. But in asking the right questions, we
might just find some intriguing answers.

Vote for people who have a positive vision of the future. Nostalgia isn't
what it used to be. Politicians who promise a return to an idyllic past are
counting on fuzzy memories to forget what the past was really like. A good
leader will take timeless values and combine them with the current reality to
produce a vision of a transformed future. Unfortunately, much of American
politics, even down to the local level, has degenerated into negative
rhetoric that leaves voters disgusted with the whole process. If you find a
leader with a positive vision, give him or her your vote.

Choose people of faith. Almost any political office, from the city council to
the White House, is too big a job for a human being to do alone. I look for
candidates that honestly (since before their campaign) seem to depend on God
for guidance and strength. They do not necessarily have to be similar in
denomination or theology. But I believe that a public servant who has a
strong relationship with God will more likely be just that - a servant.

Pray for guidance. When all your research is done, when you have studied the
positions of the candidates and assessed the possibilities, then pray about
it. Ask God to direct your hand in the voting booth. These are important
decisions; they need to be undergirded with prayer.

Exercise your privilege. Above all else, do make the effort to go out and
vote. Having a voice in our government is a sacred responsibility enjoyed by
few people to the extent we do in America. Democracy is a trust that was
given by God and ensured by the founders of our nation. I know it's flawed,
as every human system is, but it's the best option I've seen. Exercise is
healthy - get out and vote!

*Reeves is senior minister of First United Methodist Church in Bryant, Ark.
The commentary first appeared in the Arkansas United Methodist, the newspaper
of the Little Rock and North Arkansas annual conferences.

News media contact: Linda Green, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service