Jesus is (insert Political Party here)!!

It's been a hard lesson for me to learn that, no matter who is sitting in a Government seat at any given time in this country, that person was ultimately allowed there -- put there, even -- by God Himself (Romans 13:5-7). Republican, Democrat, or other, God is measuring these leaders according to His own plans -- the minutiae of which remain a total and complete mystery.

We're often tempted to say Jesus would have belonged to this political party or that organization. Nonsense. Jesus is neither Republican or Democrat, because He is above our petty politics. Sometimes, He even allows people into power with whom He completely disagrees (the mass murderer Herod comes to mind). Because -- and this is the real lesson I'm learning -- our nation is but a blip on the radar of History. In the eternal Timeline of Christ, and in the grand scale of His plans of Grace and Mercy, the political movements of this world mean so very little.

You and I must vote our consciences today. We must continue to work to the best of our ability to act as we believe God would have us act, even as we understand His plans may not be the same as ours. But even more important, you and I must understand what really matters: and that is Grace.

After dying on the cross and being resurrected; after providing a means for our sins to be separated from us, and for us to once again be called Children of God, Jesus' final instructions to us had nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with people.

"Go into the World and make disciples of all nations."

Love others as He has loved us, and present His love to them. Whatever our external circumstance, whether Christians face judgement and mockery, whether the final voting results lean Left or Right, all is just that: circumstance. It's just a setting in which to do what we must do. It doesn't change for one second our mission on earth to spread the Good News of God's great love and mercy to everyone, everywhere.