Election witness

Election talk will permeate the air this Fall. British Columbia will vote on October 19, New Brunswick on October 21 and Saskatchewan on October 28. The US votes on November 4. It feels like the next federal election has already begun; there is growing speculation about an early election in Ontario. Each election is cast as a defining moment for that jurisdiction. Each one has been affected by culture war polarization over hot button issues, such as trans-youth in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Each one includes heightened concern about the state of democracy itself and about trends toward more authoritarian rule.

I am sensing some shift away from culture war polarization toward more focus on the common good. In the US, the work of Christians Against Christian Nationalism has gained momentum. Also this summer, former Christian Reformed Church pastor Keith Mannes published a memoir, UnMediated: Simple Fath. Pure Love, about standing up to what he calls Christian Trumpism, which led to his resignation.

While the context in Canada is not as sharply polarized along religious lines as it is in the States, Christian citizens in Canada are also asking new questions about ways to be a positive influence in the context of elections that exhibit cultural and political polarization. If enough citizens engage in positive influence, it could make a difference for all elections and our long-term public culture.

Short-termism

Election cycles lead to short-term promises at a time when we need long-term thinking. Citizens can resist being swayed by campaign promises for immediate personal benefits and instead ask questions about the long-term care of creation or impacts for the next generation. I recall the stunned look of a candidate when this white-haired lady did not care about his sales pitch for seniors. I said my top priority was the importance of a Children’s Advocate to focus on impacts for children and their future. He had to take my enquiry back to his party. His written message to me indicated it was the unusual nature of that question coming from a senior that made it stick.

Precarity

We all know people whose lives have been turned upside down by wildfires, floods, job relocations or serious gaps in health care. They live with high levels of insecurity and uncertainty. Elections tend to focus on the middle class and groups that turn out to vote. Jesus modelled how standing with the precarious can shift attention and engage our deeper values. Throughout the Scriptures we learn that the best indicator of God’s approach to justice is how society treats the precarious ones, including the non-human parts of creation.

Brave hope

The reality of a changing climate and undisputed wide gaps between those with wealth and those barely surviving requires leaders who dare to say and do brave things. This may not be popular. Elections often reward piece-meal or incremental solutions that appeal to a particular group or pay for today’s groceries but don’t create long-term change for the well-being of everyone. Citizens can resist the pandering to buy votes and the single-issue politics in order to support brave moves, even if those moves cost something now.

Elections are a time for intentional engagement, not withdrawal because it is “too political.” How we engage in elections will reflect on public perceptions of Christianity. It can also be a positive witness – and fun – when you do what is not expected from you.