Fighting Election

Every so often, we get everyone together for a big fight. It's so strange. I don't really think we care so much about what we're fighting over (with one or two obvious exceptions). We just seem to like the fight. I'm talking about presidential elections, of course.

This dynamic is so bizarre to me. I know people who are perfectly well-adjusted, level-headed, rational beings who suddenly turn to ogres come election time. I know these people on both sides of the aisle.

It's like Thanksgiving. Every so often, we get all our parties together and try to figure things out and someone gets drunk and we all leave mad and we add to our family lore about the one time Uncle Larry tried to carve the turkey and ruined everything.

I wonder why we do this. There are probably dozens of reasons I don't understand but a few come to mind.

Control
Voting — or more accurately, winning the vote — gives us a sense of control. It feels like we're making a better future if our ideas are the ones that win. We have more confidence in our countrymen if we feel that the majority of them agree with us. If, on the other hand, most of them don't share our views, we complain about "what America is coming to" or wish that someone would "get those other people out of the dark ages." No one ever watches their candidate lose and then says, "Hmm. Most of my compatriots disagree with my position. I wonder if their ideas are actually better. I wonder what I can learn from them." I think there's a level of humility missing from our national discourse. And there's a longing for control. Every man-made religion on earth peddles control. It's a powerful motivator.

Winning
We've also all got a little bit of Charlie Sheen in us. We like winning. Our culture is obsessed with it. We've turned sport into a multi-billion dollar alternative reality where the ultimate virtue is winning. And we turn our non-competitive endeavors — academia, ministry, the arts — into competitions with awards and scorecards.

Politics gives us clear winners and losers. If you get more votes, you win. It's simple and easy to measure. It takes less work and less discernment than fighting our ideological battles where they matter — in our relationships.

False Enemies
That relates to my final idea. I think we work ourselves into a political fervor every four years because it's easier to battle enemies we can see. Every Christian gives ascent to the idea that our enemy isn't flesh and blood. Our enemy doesn't have a political party. But we tend to think of people on the other side of the aisle as pawns of the enemy. It's easier to fight those enemies. We can see them, vote against them, visit their websites, spread rumors about them, blame them, and demonize them. They're easy to hate.

But ultimately, they are a distraction. Our enemy is unseen as is our Hero.

I'm not saying politics isn't important. I voted in this election, and I treasure that right. It's one of the reasons I believe in our country. And I'm not saying we should abandon our convictions. I have some pretty strongly-held positions on issues of the day, especially justice issues like abortion. But I think we Christians tend to forget that the real battle isn't won or lost in the voting booth. The real battle happens on a grassroots level — deeper than that, it happens in hearts.

After all, that's the beauty of representative government. Our politicians aren't leaders; they are followers. That's true not just because of their character (I don't see a lot of conviction in most politicians) but because of their profession. Following is how politicians get elected. Trust me: if 90 percent of Americans deeply believed that abortion should be illegal, President Obama would be a staunch pro-lifer. He's a follower. They are all followers. It's up to us to lead them.

If you want to win an election, win hearts. Love people well. Pray against your enemy. Start with your neighbors and coworkers — not to bring their votes to your party, but bring their souls to restoration. And maybe in the trenches of the real battle, the allure of an election night victory party will become secondary.