A Voter's Guide: Hope.

Here we are, knee-deep in the presidential election season of 2024. 

In America, politics is very bipartisan, or primarily two parties. One party has changed its candidate mid-stream, both parties have participated in two chaotic debates, and the other party’s candidate has survived two assassination attempts. 

Red, white, and blue voting boxes stacked with a "go vote" note sticking out of the top box.

I admit my stomach feels sickie when I read the news. America has deep divisions on social issues, and each party opens a begging hand for our vote. Plus, there are horrible wars across the globe crying out for us to choose sides and offer help. My heart aches. I want peace, no harm, charitable discourse, and unity. This seems beyond our reach.

The Niebuhr Brothers, Richard and Reinhold, our late, great theologians of the early to mid-1900s, who were born in Wright City and spent their early childhood at Immanuel, faced the dawn of mutilating world wars and the clarion call for civil rights justice in their lifetimes. The gravity of these divisive issues kept them writing, lecturing, and living into God's redemptive and scandalous love. They wrestled with God and humanity, trying to make meaning of the need for war, justice, and the Christian’s calling as a disciple of Jesus. I wonder if today’s political and humanitarian messes would even shake them. 

History seems to repeat itself. Looking back on history, the evils of humanity strewn across the divided landscape are nothing new, just different packaging. One constant is God’s presence with humanity through our sufferings; recognizing God’s presence gives us hope. Hope lifts us in our circumstances. Hope encourages our soul that Jesus will still be Lord of All, and we will still be bearers of Jesus's love into the world, no matter who is elected president or the pain in our world.

Bronze cross on a rosary prayer chain with the sunrise low in the background.

God has a future for us. Our Christian life is a partnership with an everlasting God above all nations and rulers. The prophet Isaiah was filled with the Spirit and had a vision of hope for God’s people when they were crushed and dispersed from their land. God had a future for them! Listen for the words of hope that break open the despair in this passage from Isaiah 61.

Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

    and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

    instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

    instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

    instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

    a planting of the Lord

    for the display of his splendor.

As we live into what lies ahead, remember this is nothing new. Be encouraged. God is walking along with us in the chaos. There is hope.

God has a future planned for us.