I've never truly been excited to vote, but I do because it's a privilege, honour, duty, and commandment to do so. Voting is a blessing, a privilege, granted to a veritable few in context of human history and the present world population. Many people don't take it seriously, and many of those who do vote for things I detest, but it is a fundamental principle that men have moral agency. Our one true God gives us freedom to choose for ourselves- liberty and eternal life, or captivity and death. So, on or before November 8th this year, I will go down and exercise a divine right, granted by our Constitution, inspired by our Creator, and historically true to God's behavior and interpolations in the actions of man.
God has always desired His people to be free. For this reason, He promised a Savior. For this reason, He led Israel out of Egypt. For this reason, slavery and debt and caste stratification are eschewed by those who truly love and worship Him. Benjamin Franklin suggested that the national motto of the United States ought to be "Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God". Whether the tyrants were slave masters, foolish Pharisees, a wicked king anointed by the prophet, or a corrupt judge who sells his judgments for 20 pieces of silver, God allows and encourages His people to choose. Prior to the reign of Saul, God's people were ruled by His laws without the interference or involvement of men. After the tradition of Moses, who appointed others to assist him in the arbitration that arose from violations of the Mosaic Law, once in Canaan, Israel established a series of Judges. These men spoke on God's behalf, served at the will of the people, and didn't pass on their position by virtue of inheritance. We know this because Samuel, the prophet who later anointed Saul king, served under the Priest Eli, who was chastised while Samuel was very young for being part of a corrupt heritable patriarchal order with his sons, both of whom were slain by God. This is in large part why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. God does not interfere to respect their agency, and He expects us to use ours wisely and well.
The Constitution and Declaration of Independence are inspired documents. Mathematically, the odds of those men being born in the same region at the same era under the same circumstances, not to mention the chance of actually winning or composing something on which a plurality would agree, defy the odds of winning roulette in Vegas. Instead, they came, they came together, and they set up a system that allows us to come choose our own heads in the tradition of ancient Israel. Enshrined in those documents we find the pieces of truth these Founding Fathers were willing and able to receive and wisely use. In my Faith, previous church leaders officially declared these papers to be inspired works, although they are not necessarily canon, and we take it seriously to sustain and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. As part of the government established by these documents, we vote for our leaders, and with that opportunity to vote comes the concomitant responsibility to select the choicest candidates we can. I won't comment here on how many candidates next month lie far from choice, but we are supposed to pick the people we best believe will "lay its foundations in such principles and organize its powers in such forms as shall seem to them most likely to secure their safety and happiness" (Declaration). Our government has God's fingerprints on it, and so it pleases God that we vote and moreso when we vote wisely.
Agency is essential to God's plan and free, civil society. True, the dark side is quicker, easier, more seductive, and I understand the temptation to treat people as objects rather than agents and dictate to them, but there is no virtue in using the Adversary's methods to achieve the Father's plan. For that reason, Lucifer was cast out of heaven and God's presence in favor of Jesus coming to atone for men and alleviate the consequences of our mistakes and rebellions for those who care to apply the atonement. Sometimes our choices are not great. Sometimes, we have to choose between trading one tyranny for another and losing a woman that you love. Sometimes the only thing to do is to trust God. Sometimes, our choices are between the lesser of two evils. Ultimately the only choices that actually elevate our state are those that show love to God and our fellowmen. most people love themselves, and since those people are the ones most likely to run for office, we find that our choices often do not include the people we prefer. My ancestors had a saying that power is for those willing to stoop low enough to take it. I know that these moments are ultimately tests of character, and I know that character matters most, and so I will go vote and do the best I can to give God and His children the best chance they have to continue exercising their agency in every aspect of their lives possible.
We feel powerless sometimes because experience teaches us that we rarely get what we deserve, but we forget that what we send out always comes back to us. Sometimes it doesn't come in the manner or the timing we expect, but it comes back somehow, some way. Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the son of God, and the fullness of my intent is that I may persuade men to come to God and be saved. There is a very good reason that the tag line of this blog is taken from Deuteronomy 10:25 which says "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land and to all the inhabitants thereof." I believe that is my purpose in life, and so I try to talk about it on this blog, with my friends, with students, with strangers, and with all who will listen. When Jesus came of age and went to read in the synagogue, He read this verse from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord". Liberty, freedom, good news, opportunity, happiness, and what God truly desires for His people- to be free. That is the way God always works. This is the way He works among this people today. He inspired men to establish a government in this land where people could choose liberty and life and happiness. As long as we have that power, it's one we ought to exercise. Life, liberty, and the pursuit. That means something to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment