Still One Nation Under God
On November 5, 2016, the Sunday before the national election, I preached a sermon with the above title. Amid what was a nasty and polarizing campaign with many voters not liking either candidate, I thought a reminder of who’s really in charge was in order. Now, here we are, four years later, and it seems to be even more divisive. The rancor between the political parties, coupled with a toxic mixture of Covid, racism, and global warming, threatens to tear us apart. We exaggerate the best in our candidate and the worst in the other. Lies! Fake news! Rigged elections! Every day a frightening reminder of how fragile democracy really is.
I want to share some of my thoughts from back then. Actually, I want to emphasize the one thought often overlooked in the heat of political warfare. Come November 4th, we will still be “One Nation Under God.” No matter how the final tally ends up, God will still be King of kings and Lord of lords. What the next few days pose is not impending doom, but an opportunity for us to show our true colors and whom we honor and adore.
I want to share some of my thoughts from back then. Actually, I want to emphasize the one thought often overlooked in the heat of political warfare. Come November 4th, we will still be “One Nation Under God.” No matter how the final tally ends up, God will still be King of kings and Lord of lords. What the next few days pose is not impending doom, but an opportunity for us to show our true colors and whom we honor and adore.
- That our faith should be much more important than party loyalty;
- That all mudslinging starts with dirtying our own hands;
- That our ultimate allegiance is to our Lord Jesus Christ;
- That His command to “take up the cross and follow” does not entail winning; but might very well demand the opposite.
So, in light of all this, what should be our response? Following Jesus demands going against this acrimonious flow—not necessarily to stop it, but to stand up in the face of it and make a difference. When the way a Christian lives stands out in stark contrast to the ways of the world, the Gospel is powerfully revealed. God is just. God is loving. We know that. Can we hold those two attributes, love and justice, together in the way we treat each other? Can we pray for our leaders, even the ones we didn’t choose? Can we give thanks to God for those among us who share our faith but not our politics?
Whoever we elect as our President will be a deplorable sinner. But then so are we. Not only has Christ died for us, He died for the world God so loved, which includes Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, American citizens and everyone else. And on the same night Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, abandoned, and sentenced to death, He prayed, “That they may be one, Father, as you and I are one.” E pluribus unum.
So, yes, we will still be one nation, Wednesday, no matter who wins or how close the voting (or how long it takes to count!). And we will still be under God, as always. We just need to remember that, and strive to be helpful reminders to everyone—no matter what side of the aisle they’re on—that His sovereignty reigns from sea to shining sea. As does His love for us His children.
Whoever we elect as our President will be a deplorable sinner. But then so are we. Not only has Christ died for us, He died for the world God so loved, which includes Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, American citizens and everyone else. And on the same night Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, abandoned, and sentenced to death, He prayed, “That they may be one, Father, as you and I are one.” E pluribus unum.
So, yes, we will still be one nation, Wednesday, no matter who wins or how close the voting (or how long it takes to count!). And we will still be under God, as always. We just need to remember that, and strive to be helpful reminders to everyone—no matter what side of the aisle they’re on—that His sovereignty reigns from sea to shining sea. As does His love for us His children.
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