I was sitting at the bedside of a dear church member who was in palliative care during the 2016 Presidential election cycle. On one particular day, as I primarily sat there with him because of the intermittent nature of our conversation due to his sporadic sleep and winces of pain, I had a thought. Moments like this are sobering; as we witness the ugliness of death things are often put into perspective. My thought in this particular moment was, “all of this political stuff doesn’t really matter…this right here and now, this is what matters.”
Now, my thinking was partly right, but allow me a moment to take you through my process of realizing my error that day. First, certainly, me being with that brother in Christ during his final days took precedence over any social media political activity, reading the latest polls, or even reading political essays to better understand current issues. To not understand this would be a strong indication of political idolatry in my life. However, the pressing need of ministering to and loving a brother in his final moments of mortal life doesn’t negate the importance of other things, even politics. This realization came for me that same day as I was praying with him before I left his home for the day.
As I was praying with him, I thanked God for graciously saving him and giving him eternal, unsinkable hope in Christ. I thanked God for the church in the Mill Village where he grew up in which he heard the gospel. In thinking about God’s grace in my friend’s life as I was driving away, that’s when it hit me that politics and government do matter, especially in this particular situation. You see, during his childhood my friend was able to ride his bike safely on public roads to church each Sunday. His church was able to gather freely, safely, and preach the gospel without outside interference. The orderliness his community enjoyed allowed him to hear the gospel and this orderliness was due in large part to God’s providence through government (Rom. 13:1-7). This clarity allowed me to thank God for the blessings we have enjoyed in our Country and return to political engagement with even more sincerity. Government and politics matter!
God’s Word calls us to pray for our leaders so that we my live peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified lives (1 Tim. 2:2). If you are facing the temptation to become cynical in the midst of yet another vicious Presidential election cycle, be reminded that although, certainly not ultimate, government and politics do matter.
Written by Matt Baker