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Politics of Exile

Here we are again in the middle of another Presidential election season. It seems like we just did this not long ago. Regrettably, Presidential elections do not seem to bring out the best in us. We become hyper sensitive to very word and image. It is like all of the sudden we all turn into really bad actors in some soap opera. Issues we thought dead seem to spring back to life. Partnerships/marriages between groups that are often at odds all of the sudden have the marriage we have waited for all soap opera season long. 
As we all head into another election season we will be told that voting for this or that person could lead to things like more/less security, more/less abortions, more/less spending, more/less budget cut backs, more/less taxes, more/less kids being educated, more/less gun rights and so on. The list of promises and possible threats that each candidate will use to get your vote will be endless. All of it will be a play for our most obvious and most overlooked sin – selfishness. After all asking us questions like “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” is a fairly selfish question. At times it almost seems like running for President is like running for High School class president. Vote for me and you will never have to go class, you will get pizza for lunch every day and most importantly no homework. Yet, a vote for my opponent will mean more homework, more class time and salad every day for lunch.
In the mix of all of this are many Christians who are very worried and concerned. They are concerned that the American values that they knew are all but gone. Right seems wrong and wrong seems right. We seem to live in land that does not share our values or worship our God. We don’t feel secure and wonder when God will restore things back to a state that seems more familiar.
                I bring this up not to make light of voting, the office of the Presidency or Christians who are concerned about certain “Biblical Values”. I bring all this up to remind myself that my real security has nothing to do with who is or is not the President. When the year 586 BC hit the nation of Israel it was a devastating moment. God had promised the people land and his presence with them via the temple. Now those things are gone. No land and no temple. This left the Hebrew people wondering where God had gone? Why did these things happen? When will there be restoration? What does it mean to be secure? What will happen now that we live a land that does not share our values or worship our God? It seems like God left with the temple. How shall we now live? (Ez. 33:10)
When you read through the prophetic books they are out to answer these questions and fears of the people. Isaiah, which is probably one of the most hopeful books in all of literature, announces that God never left. In fact not only has God never left he brings comfort and good news. (Isa. 40 and following.) The prophet Jeremiah reminds the people to “seek the welfare of the city” (Jer. 27:4-7). In other words make a home away from home. God is reminding the people that they can still fulfill the covenant promise made to Abraham about being a blessing to all the nations. Obadiah reminds his readers that only God is the real security. If Obadiah were here today he would probably ask us questions like . . . Do you think your 401K provides for your security? You think that more walls/security personal/wearing a gun on your hip will make you truly secure? The only real and true security you have is found in God.
Maybe we Christians could use the reminder that that prophets provide. God has not left us. While we might live in a land that does not worship our God or honor our values it does not mean that we cannot be a blessing. Jesus’ main message was that the Kingdom of God had come to earth. There is a new King of the world and it is not Caesar.  What matters most then is not who is in the White House or who controls congress. What is most important then is not attempting to have our values honored or ensuring others worship our God. The real issue at hand is do we really believe that there is a new King and if so then are we about his business or overly consumed with the business of another King.

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