Today I went down the street to the Multnomah County Elections Office and registered to vote in the state of Oregon. I had been previously registered, but needed to update my information. Reregistering was actually a bit symbolic, because this time I was excited as I walked out of the office. Let’s just say I was never particularly excited about registering to vote the last time I did, or excited about voting itself for that matter. I think it was done a bit more out of obligation.
If you know me well you know that I have never been much into politics, or interested in elections or keeping up to date with a lot of things going on in the world. I hate even admitting this. I don’t know why it was not important to me, but I admit it was not. I am happy to say this is different now. I am not, by any means, claiming to be an expert or all of a sudden miraculously informed and totally up to date with all of the current events in the world. But now my mindset has totally changed, and for that, I am excited.
Today we celebrate Good Friday, the day Jesus died for us.
Yes, the connection. I’m getting there.
I felt like my time in Cambodia made the world look totally different to me than it previously did, which you might think is a given. Well yes. But I realized in a new- more clear-way through interaction with Cambodians and other people from all over the world the power of the United States. The decisions we make as a nation and as individuals matter to people in the furthest corners of Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa, and on and on and on around the world.
Again, this is an obvious fact, but for some reason was only recently made very real to me.
Our decisions DIRECTLY affect these people that Jesus died for!
How can we NOT be concerned about the decisions our nation makes?!
I am not advocating support of the democrats or the republicans, or even getting into some of the issues of importance. I am just making the connection. The United States controls the world on many different levels, and as citizens of this country, the least we can do is stay informed, pray, and help to make decisions on behalf of those who don’t get the opportunity to do so, but whom our decisions directly affect. It seems so painfully obvious to me now I feel awful it took me twenty five years to finally get it.
Jesus died for you, for me, and for the woman I passed on the corner today holding a “homeless with a child” sign. He also died for the genocide victims and perpetuators in Darfur, for the soldiers and civilians in Iraq, and for those in Asia worshipping Buddha. I might not know these people or ever be directly involved in their lives. But if Jesus cares enough for each of them to die, I think He commands me to care, too. He died for each of us in the midst of our sin and selfishness, so who I am to judge my neighbor? At the very least I can be informed, so as to be involved in making decisions independently and with my nation that make a direct difference in the lives of those Christ died for. And most of all, so I can serve them better in prayer.
Lord, give us soft hearts to care about the world and individuals the way You do. Forgive the times our egocentrism, judgment, apathy, and ignorance prevents us from loving and caring for Your children. Amen.
“Teacher, which command in God’s law is the most important?”
Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion, prayer, and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and in the Prophets hangs from them.”
Matthew 22:36-40 The Message
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