The observation that elections have consequences is certainly true, and there have been some presidential elections with consequences that are particularly important.
The 1860 and 1932 elections, for example, come to mind as watershed elections in which the present and future of the nation were at stake. Lincoln’s election set the course leading to our national reckoning with the evil of slavery and resolving the question of the constitutionality of secession. FDR’s election in 1932 gave hope to a deeply discouraged nation and may have prevented a Socialist uprising.
More often, though, there is a tendency to view every election as the most important ever and with the fate of the nation resting on the results. Since 1800 when John Adams campaigned for a second term leading a divided Federalist Party and Vice President Thomas Jefferson ran against him as leader of the Democratic-Republican party, it has been common for each party to portray elections as apocalyptic and to project the other party’s candidate as the greatest threat to democracy imaginable.
However, the Founders wrote the Constitution intentionally dividing power between three separate but equal branches of government with the expectation that each will keep a watchful eye on the other two. It is a document designed to “tyrant proof” the nation from threats posed by a single leader or group whose ambition is to seek absolute power by seizing fundamental rights belonging to all citizens.
As followers of Christ Jesus, we are called to thoughtfully and calmly engage in our communities and nation. We ought to study the issues, reflect on what the Bible teaches about them, and prayerfully encourage and vote for candidates whose policies align most closely with biblical principles. We should also bear in mind that we live in a fallen world in which all of humankind has sinned and falls short of God’s glory. There are no sinless candidates on the ballot.
Who we elect to represent us at the local, state, and national levels matters. But who we elect is ultimately determined by who we are and the depth of our character as individual citizens. If we truly desire government leaders who are people of integrity and depth of character, we must ourselves be people of integrity and depth of character.
The words of John Quincy Adams, when challenged by a Capitol Hill reporter about why anyone could have hope in government when slavery still existed, are still relevant: “Duty is ours, results are God’s.” As followers of Christ Jesus, we have a responsibility to engage as citizens who pursue what is good and true wholeheartedly and with integrity and then trust God with the results.
Elections have consequences. But will we be shaped by the consequences, or will we shape them? Do we have the depth of character necessary to preserve the freedom we have been given through the sacrifices of those who preceded us?
