Christianity and Voting
Submitted by A beloved daughter
God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 … if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I’ll hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Covid-19 has revealed a sickness in this land that goes beyond a cough or feverish aches and pains. It is seen in partisan talking points from clever or outlandish politicians vying for votes. In neighbors, this illness has caused a collective memory loss of a few select Americans even the “very elect” have fallen for the hype as Matthew 24:24 cautions us against. One element of this contagion has infected some of the older generation with a delirium that espouses a notion to “make America great again” with Candidate X. It was with that spark of awareness that I contemplated writing my last article on Christianity and voting. It made me say out loud that “when I was born, neither my parents nor my grandparents could vote in any of these United States of America”.
I thought about my maternal grandfather, Papa, the only grandfather I can remember well, who was born in 1893; that the emancipation proclamation was signed in 1863, and the voting rights act was signed in 1965. The act passed in the senate on May 26, 1965 with a vote of 77-19; and then on to the house where it passed on July 9, 1965 with the final tally of 333-85. (Note: the tallies were not unanimous!) I thought about my grandfather, respected deacon in his church, a farmer, a mason, possibly growing up on a sharecropper’s farm. I remember he was a small man who stood about 5’2; he had gray eyes, and spoke with a soft, whispery voice. He and three of his 5 sons served in the US military – segregated, of course; my mom was given a flag that draped his coffin; and I calculated that he was eligible to vote for the first time at the ripe old age of 72!
Today there’s a fractured group among America’s society whose older members probably remembers being plagued by the ills of voter suppression and intimidation at the polls…and, no doubt experiencing some déjà vu in 2020 as it rears its ugly head again. On the other hand, another group, let’s call them “privileged” some of them are exhibiting signs of a “madness.” In the U. S., this group has always been nurtured; always been trusted; always been sheltered, always been protected. And, yet they and their off springs, a powerful group en masse, are upset about mandates to wear “facial coverings” i.e. masks, during a global pandemic! If not cured soon this “disease” could cripple this nation into oblivion! Mark 3:25 says it best (paraphrased), a team, a group, a family, a nation, divided against itself cannot stand.
I’m grateful to God for having allowed me to see America’s festering sores and witnessing the reality of its petty people hording toilet paper during a pandemic! That mandates to wear a mask in public brought claims of threats to their freedoms, oxygen, and essentially being drafted into slavery! The slavery claim struck a nerve with me. This people trekked across an ocean to escape “tyranny” only to become infected tyrants themselves against a people who were actually stolen from their native lands; trekked across an ocean in chains and then dehumanized through “slavery”, Jim Crow lawlessness, domestic terrorism, police brutality and denied a comfortable place to reach that American dream in the same America they built, fought for and died for, even in 2020!
Please keep in mind, we don’t vote in a vacuum; we vote as a collective, and if enough of us cast our votes in agreement with a just cause, a favorable final tally could bring aid and justice to the people we care most about. I invite you to read Acts 2:44 again, and imagine a world with that mindset…then make plans to Vote!
WOW…Three upcoming events you don’t want to miss!
Divided by Faith Virtual Book Club
Why: Divided by Faith investigates race relations between whites and blacks in the United States. Although white evangelicals have a well-intentioned desire to end racial inequality, their efforts can—and have—unwittingly serve to do more harm than good, “actually recreating racial divisions and inequalities,” (p 1). WOW…Now is the time to build bridges and not tear down structure and people through meaningful, respectful, candid dialogue at a zoom book club. It is important that we have a diverse group of white people and black people present at the Divided by Faith Book Club. All is welcome
When: October 31st – December 19th at noon 12:00 (Central Standard Time)
Strong Recommendation: Order Your Book now! Post Office is overwhelmed. Book sells out quickly
Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84358858852?pwd=U0dnSUxsTGNNV3BDNUpMYTIyTnZxQT09
Meeting ID 843 5885 8852 Passcode 965613
Cooking with Drette
on Zoom for the Month of November 4:00pm (Central Standard Time) every Saturday
Drette will share a few of her favorite recipes with you as well as the history behind each dish.
It will be a fun and interactive time you don’t want to miss!
Below is a list of delicious foods Drette has lined up to cook for your viewing pleasure.
Crawfish Etouffee
Chicken Alfredo pasta
Collard greens and yams
Chicken tortilla soup
Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89089083716?pwd=Q1owSEVNTWQ4Q1ZYTU1XeFFZRTZ3QT09
Meeting ID 890 8908 3716 Passcode 913556
Saturday Night Movies on Zoom
A true-life story of Christian music mega star Jeremy Camp and his remarkable journey of love, loss, hope in midst of tragedy and faith that is tested.
Zoom Link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85810874266?pwd=QkRTcG1kck5QZmh3TlZoN2JMSFZGZz09
Meeting ID 998 843 1458 Passcode: 720947
WOW…Works of Wonder…The Single Christians Experience is a 501©3 charitable organization. WOW exists to glorify God and build His kingdom. WOW fellowships with like minded people and performs community service. WOW represents single Christians thirty -five years of age and older throughout the Dallas Fort Worth Texas Metroplex. Everyone is welcome