I vote for candidates who, in my estimation, will most effectively work within their God-ordained roles to promote human flourishing and social order. My vision of human flourishing is guided by historic, orthodox Christian ethics – what i believe to be a distillation of the plain teaching of Holy Scripture. My commitment to order flows from my theological understanding of the divine purpose for human government.
I vote for my neighbor. I vote for the protestor and the police officer. I vote for order and progress. I vote to maintain what we have and make it better. I vote for the working man; I vote for the single mom. I vote for an economy that incentives work & creates economic opportunities for all. I vote for the vulnerable – for the pre-born, the un-timely born, and the wish-they-were-never born.
I vote for myself, my family, and my enemies. I vote differently than people I love. I vote the same way as people I love. I vote like people I agree with. I vote like people I don’t agree with. I vote like you. I don’t vote like you. I vote for people who make me smile. I vote for people who do not make me smile.
I vote with realism, perspective, and as much conviction as I can muster. I vote for someone to lead in some limited, governmental capacity. I do not vote for someone to affirm me, bring me joy, settle my heart, or calm my mind. I already have Someone for that.
I write not as an authority; I write as a citizen. This post probably won’t help you pick a candidate. It won’t help you figure out who I’m voting for. It won’t make power brokers happy, and I’m sure it’ll inspire some criticism.
But honestly, I don’t care. Because I’m tired.
I’m tired of talking points. I’m tired of suspicion. I’m tired of paranoia, witch hunts, and fear. I’m tired of gaslighting, dog whistling, mudslinging, posturing, and virtue signaling. I’m tired of the status quo, and I’m tired of the revolution. I’m tired of partisanship wrecking our families, churches, and institutions.
But I’m not tired of Jesus.
And he’s not tired of me.
MB
