What if he doesn't win???!!!

Within 24 hours—assuming there are no hanging chads in Charleston or court fights in Florida—another exhausting and frighteningly expensive US presidential campaign will be over. Many folks are hopeful John McCain will emerge victorious. And many others of us are hopeful that Barack Obama will prevail. And yet most of us know that, whether our first choice gets the nod or not, the sun will rise— and the Lord will reign— the next day over a blessing-filled but deeply-challenged nation.

Though my opinion is not always popular among faithful single-issue voters (or among the highly anxious or partisan), I honestly believe that faithful Christ-followers can in good conscience vote for either man, since even though both candidates advocate some things that aren’t faithful to God’s will, both also advocate many things that are. (I unpacked both the godly and the more problematic attributes of both sides of the political spectrum last month in the WWJJ series).

Additionally, both men are, I believe, essentially honorable in their motives and behaviors—though obviously each has made compromises that are unfortunate but typical when seeking a high office in a highly corruptible process. And of course, it wasn’t expected in the New Testament scriptures that a country’s leader could be a Christian (Caesar certainly wasn’t a Christian when Paul told us to honor his office in Romans 13—and in Matthew 22 Jesus okayed paying taxes to a pagan government, too) But from the evidence I’ve seen, both Mr. McCain (despite his lucky rabbit’s foot) and Mr. Obama (despite his bombastic former pastor) are believers in Jesus Christ, though they’ve lived out their faith in different ways, and, have chosen their churches using different criteria.

I’m confident God is never pleased with some of the dark spots of our American elections: broken campaign promises, character-attack ads, public distraction by trivia, celebrity-mania, idolatries of party loyalty and nationalism, and so forth. But I know for sure that Scripture doesn’t allow Christ-followers to give up on their country—or to be hateful toward their government. See, just because our US Constitution gives us the right to protest and debate vehemently, our biblical ‘founding documents’ hold us to a higher standard.

In fact Paul’s letter to the church in the politically carnivorous city of Rome gives some specific post-election advice, with my loose translation (Romans 13:1-10):
• we’re not allowed to get violent in the streets if we don't get our way. It’s insulting to God and disruptive to the peace He longs for in our communities
• we’re not allowed to curse, whine, or disparage our new leader(s), [though of course we don’t have to agree or keep silent about our concerns!]
• we’re not allowed to cheat on our taxes (a favorite ‘protest’ of self-serving types of all ideologies), no matter whose reforms or changes are implemented.

All in all, whether my guy wins or loses, he’s not the one that I’ll be serving, worshiping, or building my identity or eternity on. So in 36 hours, I’ll get up early, make my coffee, grab my Bible, and open it up for marching orders from my King. Then I'll open the laptop to find out who’s my President.

1-3 Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.
3-5Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you'll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage…God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses the [authorities] to do it. That's why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it's the right way to live.
6-7That's also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.
8-10Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other.
Rom 13:1-10 Message