Some Thoughts on the Upcoming Election
Hey, y’all! Omg, I’ve missed you guys so much. I’ve been so busy with life in ministry, we just wrapped up Vacation Bible School this past week and I’ve been serving in a different capacity at church lately, so it’s needless to say I’ve been stretched lol (blog coming soon on Life in Ministry). I’ve also been spending time with family and we just got back from vacation all while also trying to get ready to head back to school. Nevertheless, I’m glad to be back! For the past few days, I’ve been contemplating what I wanted to come back and write about, but nothing was really inspiring me to keep writing, so I waited.
And then, the news broke that President Biden was dropping out of the Election.
And then, the news broke that he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Official Democratic Presidential Nominee.
And then my timeline flooded with think-pieces, anger, propaganda, confusion and everything in between.
Initially I was really apprehensive to mention anything about the election because I am intentional about not creating a space of divisiveness. Politics is probably the most polarizing topic on Earth. I also don’t like talking about stuff that people are so critical of. In the sense that topics like these people are looking for you to slip or ‘say the wrong thing’. More often than not, people are always looking to be offended. It’s hard talking about stuff like this with people that are stubborn and strong in their opinion because they're less likely to be receptive to opinions that may challenge their methods or sound slightly different than their own (even if you have the same end goal). However, all that apprehension went out the window once I was triggered.
I am not here to really go into the actual politics of the election. It’s important to do your own research, make sure you’re registered to vote and make your own well-informed decisions! What I do want to talk about, however, is the overwhelming hostility surrounding the situation and the odd behavior exhibited from many Christians.
I was honestly kind-of surprised by some of the hostility. Not the hostility towards VP Harris, I expected that, but the hostility from my peers towards each other is what caught me off guard. There were so many posts talking down to people about their need to get educated or shaming people for generalizations and assumptions. People assuming that their peers aren’t registered to vote or never voted, or don’t plan to vote in the upcoming election. Like, people posting, ‘I hope y’all vote in November the same way y’all vote for Love Island’. Trust me, I understand the sentiment and I understand the urgency and passion you're exuding. The problem is you have taken an opportunity to earnestly aid your neighbors in the acquisition of knowledge and turned it into a moment to use shame as a fear-mongering tactic disguised as you getting people to vote, but really is just you stroking your own ego. The issue I have is that it seems y’all just want to talk at people, not truly educate them. It’s a bunch of people online all day talking about how they know more than the next person instead of providing real resources to get educated. Y’all have buried your pride and ego’s into your ‘humanitarian’ post and spent your entire message telling us how dumb we are and how smart you are for how much you know about the election & due process etc. If you really wanted people to be educated it may not be that effective to use some of the same toxic parenting tactics that were used on you. I know many of us hated when adults in our lives or our parents said “you better be in them books, like you in that phone” and things of that nature because we felt like we could do both (and many of us did, and well!). It’s the same sentiment here. We don’t need to be talked to like children to understand the severity of this election. Use kindness, grace and empathy when working to inform others because I can guarantee there is something in this world that you don’t know, that you would like explained to you with respect and dignity.
I understand the shame you project on others may not be intentional, but your intention and your impact will not always match. That is why it is so important to be mindful about how you choose to share, what you share and how you say it, especially if your intentions are truly pure. The message you're sending out should be so important to you that you're willing to sacrifice the condescending tone if it means that people can truly hear your heart.
The other thing I noticed was that Christians are such a trip. We spend years of our lives at church listening to a pastor preach about having the victory, yet we act so hopelessly. We post scriptures all day about how the Joy of the Lord is our strength, yet we don’t live it out in our daily lives. Our convictions don't match our daily decisions. Why are so many of us saying we are doomed because of the current state of the political climate? Since when have we been governed by the world? I wholeheartedly believe that whatever the outcome of the election I will be okay, we will be okay. I actually believe we will be more than okay. I trust that everything will work out for the good of those who love the Lord. And you should too. That brings me to my next point, some of us actually are serious about our faith walk and practicing our faith everyday. So for some of us that means we don’t feel an impending sense of doom surrounding this election. We are comfortable and confident in trusting God, so you may not see us sweating about it like others. That doesn’t mean we aren’t taking the election seriously, it just means we are choosing not to identify with feelings that don’t match the reality that we want to see. I choose hope, not hopelessness.
Also, people are allowed to enjoy things. Furthermore, people are allowed to enjoy things in the midst of political turmoil. People are allowed to find joy in sorrow. People don’t have to post all day to be serious about the election and be making actual voter mobilization efforts. People don’t have to post their voter registration, so it will be socially acceptable for them to vote on Love Island. People don’t have to prove themselves or their efforts to you. People are allowed to still laugh and have a good time, in spite of the disarray that plagues this nation and they shouldn’t be criticized for choosing peace in every circumstance. And choosing peace doesn’t mean you aren’t fierce in the fight for democracy. It means you have balance and understand that over-consuming yourself with heavy emotions (especially negative ones) just leads to quicker burnout and less time being productive.
At the end of the day, a lot of us have the same goal, we just don’t have the same method of reaching it. I just want to implore you to keep grace and faith at the forefront of all of your efforts and watch how much farther they go.
TH
What are your thoughts surrounding the upcoming election? Did you notice some of the same things I did or do you feel differently? How do you balance being a believer and engaging in politics? Do the two coincide for you? Let me know your thoughts below or leave something anonymously under ‘Full Disclosure’! Thanks for reading!
