A word about the election
Whether you are thrilled about the results or terrified for the future, we must remain rooted in Christ. I spent Wednesday morning in the book of 1 Kings, and read about this bad king, and that bad king, and peppered with a few good kings. And this is the history of Israel, God’s chosen nation. There is no biblical evidence that God has primarily worked through governments to bring about peace, justice, and righteousness.
Peace, justice, and righteousness are found in the actions of the faithful, not kings and politicians. Christian Nationalism is not a biblical concept. Our hope is not in flesh and blood, but in the power of Jesus’ blood.
In 1 Kings, Elijah has a break-through moment where the forces of evil (the prophets of Baal) are defeated, followed shortly after by being forced to flee for his life as King Ahab and his wife Jezebel seek to kill him for threatening the power structure of Baal-Worship.
Elijah finds himself deeply grieved and hopeless. An angel appears to him and after feeding him, begins to ask Elijah why he is hiding in the cave?
And Elijah responds, ” I did what you asked of me, and yet I still have to fear for my life, I tore down the altars and drove out the prophets of Baal, but the people of Israel still reject your covenant.”
You might feel this way. I know that many pastors have spent months trying to tear down the false Gods of Christian Nationalism, railed against Xenophobia and the backlash against refugees. I know many pastors that used a lot of social capital to challenge people on whether the rhetoric of hate and fear is Godly. Perhaps you have done the same.
And you might feel like Elijah, feel like ‘what is point of trying?’ American Evangelicalism is a lost cause.
The angel responded to Elijah’s despair by causing a tornado to come through, and then an earthquake, and then a firestorm. These are the ways we want God to come. Suddenly, and powerfully, and destructively. But God was in none of those, but instead came in a gentle breath carried by a steady breeze.
This caused Elijah to stand up, and move to the mouth of the cave
The angel asked Elijah again why he was in the cave, and Elijah repeated his complaint. Hearing God’s soft voice was not an instant cure for his pain.
Then angel said, “Go out of the cave and anoint this person and that person and another”
Despite being rejected by the people, God was not yet done with Elijah. The angel told him, “get back to work.”
Now that the voting is over, and the results are in, whether you believe that the government will be better or worse, at some point, all of God’s people will need to get back to the work of God, because it is our steady presence, the gentle whisper of God through us where God will show up.
So if you are grieving, make sure to be fed by God. Seek comfort in him and sustenance in his promises, and remember to be the 7,000 that refuses to bow to Baal and then at some point, when the pain subsides, do the things that God has given to you to do. Be God’s still, small voice. Persist.
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