I was tempted to Photoshop this beautiful photograph of the Statue of Liberty with a Groucho Marx moustache, but for the sake of great respect for my country I did not. I do think it would be fitting in regards to the political season–or in other words, the political circus–we are in. It is astonishing for me to watch how this is unfolding. Lisa and I initially agreed to keep politics off this website, and we will try to keep an unbiased approach to the best of our abilities. However, when something dawns on me in light of Christ, I am going to want to share it.

Lately and more than ever I am thinking about children in this day and age–from babies to young adults, like my son, that will start having their own children one day. Sad for the children because at the rate America is going, they won’t know what it was like to live in the good ol’ days of American pie. I can honestly say that one beautiful thing about growing older with my generation is that we were able to experience America when it was a country that stood on a solid moral ethic. We were blessed by God for doing so, and we prospered. Things have changed so much. Yes, more than anything, it makes me sad for the children that won’t know anything different than living in the society of which we have become. I’d say they could at least read about it in the history books, but again, at the rate we are going, who knows if there will even be any history books around referring to how we once were, or any history books that haven’t been tampered with in covering up the truth.

It’s easy for me to understand when people say we as Americans are doomed, unless you are counting on the left-wing approach that government control is going to pull us out of the mess we find ourselves in with even more messy government programs. I don’t get that–look where the last eight years have gotten us. On the other hand, perhaps you don’t think the GOP has gotten things done and you don’t trust them because you think they are all crooks and there is no hope there. Perhaps instead you think an ill-mannered billionaire who is candidly abrasive in his words for cutting big business deals with other world leaders is going to get the job done. Anything is better than what we’ve got in office now, right? No, I don’t get that either. At all. Okay, I’ll just say it! The thought of Americans choosing between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump freaks me out. And, the realization that millions upon millions of people are actually behind them and supporting their causes is very disturbing to me. This is now what the face of America is made up of. We are going to put into office who we choose to put into office. I believe if people took the time to do their homework and dove in just even a tad deeper they wouldn’t be so quick to support either one of these candidates. But the fact of the matter is the majority aren’t going to.

I do believe there are a couple of decent possibilities standing on the platform. One in particular I will speak of–a man who I believe has a true hope, is a man of faith, is ethical, and wants to do the right things for the right reasons. He is Marco Rubio. Thus far he isn’t pulling in the votes needed to make it to the general election. He is not what the majority of U.S. citizens want. Not to say this can’t change because anything at this point can happen, but today his chances look slim.

The debates are heating up and going haywire. And now the evil rabbits of the past are beginning to be pulled out of the hats. Obviously, when running for office, anything and everything you’ve ever done that wasn’t on the straight and narrow is going to be scrutinized and exposed. So how do the candidates react to that? How do we react to that in our own decision-making?

You’ve got one candidate that should have been imprisoned a long time ago, without a doubt. You’ve got others accused of lying, fraud, infidelity, financial gluttony, and I could go on and on and on. It’s not my objective to point out all of these flaws, but this week, I heard some “dirt” on Marco Rubio–not the kind of thing you want to hear, even about a candidate that is trailing behind in the polls. Rubio has been one of my favored candidates right out of the gate, purely based on where he stands on political issues. Then I started following him more and through what I’ve seen and observed, I’ve learned he a man of evangelical faith. He stands up for Jesus Christ and isn’t afraid to say so, or pray, or give his testimony very candidly in front of the camera at any time. So, when I saw this news come out, I cringed and felt very let down. I was sad and I just shook my head and it burst my bubble.

But then I realized something.

Donald Trump has said on the news many times that he is a Christian, but he doesn’t bring God into the business picture and he never asks Him for forgiveness. Hillary Clinton can’t even be truthful with herself, let alone confess her sins to God and ask for forgiveness. With Rubio however, I dare to say I am certain he has asked forgiveness for his sins. And with that, Rubio has been forgiven of his sins. Jesus certainly isn’t sitting around considering what Rubio was up to 25 years ago to hold it against him, because when Jesus forgives sins he also forgets them! In this particular political situation, I find this truth to be so powerful — for Rubio himself as well as the voters.

I–yes, I alone–will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. (Isaiah 43:25)

Who knows if this story will get snuffed out, how much truth it holds, what the circumstances were, or, if true, it may blow up and the repercussions of Rubio’s choices in his early life could knock him off the platform. Where the lightbulb turned on for me was, if someone has confessed their sins and asked for forgiveness from God, then I need to forgive and forget them too. Even for someone running for the presidency of the United States of America. It is a matter of repentance and honoring that repentance as Jesus would–both in and out of the political arena.

We aren’t always going to have a Christian leader. God doesn’t necessarily have that in His plan now just like it was in the times of the Bible. God uses certain leaders for certain times according to His purposes.

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. (Romans 13:1)

Now we can certainly pray for Christian leadership as we should, and we certainly need one now more than ever, but the times are what they are, as the Bible predicted they would be near the end of the days. I asked Lisa the other day in regard to the general election, in order to help decide who to vote for, if one could just compare this presidential election to a pilot flying a plane? Suppose the plane is going down, and you have the choice of a Christian on board or a young student pilot on board to save it from crashing. Well, of course you choose the inexperienced pilot to try to land the plane, and ask the Christian to pray. Unfortunately, this time around if things keep going the way they are going, it is looking like there will be no pilots on board capable of flying this plane out of the danger zone. I see no options. So we as Christians need to be praying regularly and diligently in order to stay aligned with God’s control and purpose. In other words, fasten thy seatbelt and hold on tight–to the Word! It’s the only hope you’ve got that is going to carry you through peacefully and supernaturally during these crazy times.

In closing, I’d like to point out what Jesus said when talking about the signs of the times and what would be taking place and what we were to do. He never once said to be afraid because we were all doomed. Quite the contrary. Instead he said when we see these end times signs begin to happen, we are to look up and be ready for His return. But until that time comes, it is our responsibility as Christian citizens to conduct ourselves in a peaceful and respectful manner to all governmental authority, no matter who is elected. We need to be praying for our leaders, no matter what their agenda may be. Until Christ returns, while we are looking up, we also have the responsibility and privilege to live lives worthy of our coming King! 

Holding fast,

Lori

 

^{Photography by Erik Lindgren}