I voted today

As I'm sitting at my desk listening to a Christian talk-radio program this afternoon, the hosts are naturally discussing the presidential primary elections being held in many states today. Wisely, they are asking their callers not to tell who they're voting for, but rather what issues are important to them.

Sadly, the only issues anyone has mentioned on this Christian station are abortion, the sanctity of marriage (i.e. preventing homosexual marriage), and occasionally illegal immigration. How is it that Christians in America cannot think of anything else to talk about than these two or three issues? I'm not saying that these are unimportant issues, and don't have clear moral direction in scripture, but it seems that Christians have a relatively narrow focus when it comes to selecting a political leader, always believing that the right candidate will eventually be able to bring America back to being "one nation under God."

My problem with that is, well, that's not what Jesus did. Jesus came to be with the people he was trying to save. He got to know them. He loved them. He did not come to legislate morality or overhaul the government. He intentionally avoided taking up a role in government, even when the people tried on several occasions to force it on him. The world already had the law at that point, and it was powerless to save them. Jesus built relationships and served people, and by his life and death (and life) brought real change.

"...A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

"After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.' Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself." (John 6:14-15)

I say all of that to say: Vote for a good leader. Vote your conscience. Vote to put the best possible people in office. Just don't vote thinking that it's the way to bring America to God. God uses real people for that, not politicians.