What Kingdom am I anxious for?

Here in the U.S., folks are gearing up for a presidential election. Neither side is underplaying what they think is at stake in this one: the soul of our Nation.

It’s all too easy to get swept up in it all, especially since both sides are using fear to pull you toward them. Especially with our two-party system, it’s not hard for make the narrative work: we’re the good guys, they’re the very bad guys. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar or manipulated by the media.

Here’s the truer story: we need God’s kingdom to come. And despite what both conventions, the news outlets, celebrities, or your FB friends say, God’s kingdom does NOT equal the RNC or the DNC. Both of those parties, like any human party or institution, have glaring (sometimes horrifying) shortfalls and contradictions from God’s kingdom.

I think that Christians should vote, having prayerfully sought discernment and God’s wisdom (not Fox News’ or MSNBC’s).

But I also think that we need to watch our hearts carefully for where our Hope lies. Whatever happens in November, if we feel overly relieved or overly distraught, could that be a sign our hope was tied too closely to the wrong kingdom?

Whichever ‘kingdom’ wins, we have work to do. The good, hard work of loving God, loving our neighbors, protecting and advocating for the oppressed and the voiceless, giving generously to the poor, working to bring peace within the Church and without — living as citizens of Heaven no matter what earthly kingdom we are planted in for this season.

We can — we must — do that work whatever else is happening around us.

And we pray! Sure, we can pray for the party God has led us to support, we pray for God’s intervention and mercy for whoever is president, but more than those things, we pray:

Amen.

Let us be “anxious” for God’s kingdom to come and reign — come what may.