The Election: Two Warnings

Our language and rhetoric reveal our burdens, passions, and priorities. Interestingly, the language in social media surrounding the election is quite passionate. When I hop on Facebook or Twitter, I see that people are infuriated, frustrated, angry, desperate, disgusted, devastated, offended, and even hysterical. This means that the direction of America very well may be burden number one of the public. This is a good thing. People should be deeply concerned with the direction of America. At the same time, as Christians, there are two things in particular that we must be very careful about.

The first thing is our language. When our passions are aroused, it is incredibly easy to speak ill of others (even politicians). It is easier still when everyone else is doing it. As Christians, however, we must remember that Scripture is our ultimate authority and wavering from it is great cause for concern.

In very simply and plain language Jesus says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak…” (Matt. 12:36). Additionally, Paul says to Titus,

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (Titus 3:1)

We must be above reproach. We must have “perfect courtesy towards all people” (politicians included). Obeying this command will strengthen the testimony of the church in a pivotal time.

This leads to my second point, which is that we have to work hard to be sure that our burdens and passions align with Jesus’s burdens and passions. When our burdens and passions are aroused, we must evaluate them. Are we most concerned about the things that the Bible and Jesus are most concerned about? My concern is that it seems that folks are more concerned with their economic, civil, and human freedoms than with lost souls.

The acute reader may have already noted that Paul, on the one hand, prohibits speaking ill of others, and on the other hand curses others in his own writing. However, in all the texts that Paul (and other NT writers) curse others (1 Cor. 16:22; Gal. 1:8-9; Rev. 6:9-10) you would notice that it is always in regard to heresy, that is, people who are teaching a perverted (untrue) gospel. It is people who prevent others from reconciliation with the Creator that Paul curses.

This reveals Paul’s burden: the reconciling life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself does the same thing. The only people that Jesus speaks ill of are those who block the way to God (Matt. 23:13). This reveals Jesus’s burden, which is the same as Paul’s.

My point is this, I believe that the passionate dialogue about the election has revealed our passions, and as Americans, we have a tendency to prioritize our civil liberty and economic stability over the priorities that Jesus gave us in the Scriptures. Jesus is much less concerned about the economic stability of the church than he is about its complete obedience to his command to go and preach the gospel and make disciples.

What’s your burden?