Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: Life Goes On… Even After an Election

This morning over breakfast, I had a brief conversation with Emma and Noah about what took place in last night's midterm elections. Some are calling it a "blue tsunami," and regardless of where you land politically, there is certainly plenty to talk about.

For Emma, the conversation was a little more serious. Being a senior in high school, she knows there will be conversations among her classmates about what happened at the polls. For Noah, the conversation was a little lighter.

Like most kids his age, Noah has seen his fair share of political advertisements on YouTube and television. Here in Wisconsin, that meant seeing plenty of ads for Republican Tom Tiffany and Democrat David Crowley in the race for governor.

As we talked about the results, I explained to Noah that while Tom Tiffany did not win, David Crowley did. I told him, "You know, I don't necessarily agree with David Crowley on everything, but today is a historic day in Wisconsin. He is the first Black governor in our state's history."

And you know what? That's a pretty big deal.

Regardless of political affiliation, there is something pretty cool about seeing that kind of ethnic diversity represented in an office that has never experienced it before. I wanted Noah to understand that we can disagree with someone's political positions and still recognize the significance of an accomplishment.

Imagine that!

Our breakfast conversation eventually turned to presidents. We talked about all the presidents Emma and Noah have seen during their lifetimes, and then I started going through the presidents during mine, all the way back to Richard Nixon.

Yes, I'm getting old.

Emma mentioned that some of the kids at school have been asking one another who they are voting for. I get it. Some of these students are new voters, and there is an excitement that comes with participating in the political process for the first time.

But it got me thinking.

Wouldn't we do well as parents to teach our children some of the principles many of us were raised with? One of those was that you didn't necessarily go around asking people who they voted for.

There was a time when a person's vote was considered a private matter. You could have a friendship, work alongside someone, attend church together, and never know how that person voted.

And somehow, the world kept turning.

Perhaps that's not such a bad lesson to pass along to another generation.

So, What Did This Election Teach Us?

Now, who am I to offer political commentary?

I'm just a pastor of a rural church who has spent a good portion of his life trying to make a difference. I've served on a school board, worked in the community, and done my best to be a pastor, husband, father, and, most importantly, a follower of Jesus Christ.

I'm certainly not a political analyst, nor do I pretend to have all the answers.

But I do have some observations.

For years, I've heard a statement repeated in Christian circles that goes something like this:

"If every evangelical Christian would just get out and vote, we would always get our way at the polls."

Well, in theory, perhaps there was a time when that sentiment carried some weight.

But Christians, take a look around.

The landscape has changed.

What may have been a reasonable assumption 20 years ago is no longer something we can take for granted. Evangelical Christians are not a monolithic voting bloc. We don't all think alike politically, and we certainly don't all vote alike.

Spend a little time observing Christian pop culture, listening to conversations among believers, or paying attention to the younger generation of Christians, and you'll quickly discover that political perspectives within the church are far more diverse than some would like to admit.

And perhaps we need to stop assuming that everyone sitting in a church pew sees the political world through the same lens.

Sometimes It's About the Price of Groceries

International affairs are huge. There are complex issues taking place around the world that have implications for our country and future generations.

Some people are able to step back and see the larger picture. Others are simply trying to make it through another week.

And that's okay.

Millions of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. They're trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage, put gas in the car, keep the lights on, and buy groceries.

When you're standing at the grocery store checkout watching the total climb higher and higher, international policy may not be the first thing on your mind.

You're wondering how you're going to afford next week's groceries.

For many voters, the question isn't necessarily about political ideology. It's much more practical.

Who is going to make life a little more affordable?

Who is going to bring down the price at the gas pump?

Who is going to help my family get ahead instead of constantly falling behind?

We may not agree with how someone answers those questions, but we would do well to understand why those questions matter so much to them.

Whatever Happened to Political Decorum?

Here's another observation, and this one has bothered me for quite some time.

What in the world has happened to professionalism in politics?

Now, I don't know what politicians have always said behind closed doors. I'm sure there have been some rather colorful conversations throughout American history.

But what we see publicly today is something else entirely.

In my opinion, the level of political decorum began taking a serious nosedive around 2016, and I don't believe we've recovered.

I shouldn't have to wonder whether I need to censor a political speech, an acceptance speech, or remarks from an elected official because of the language being used.

I shouldn't have to explain to my kids why grown adults holding some of the highest offices in our nation are calling one another names like they're arguing on an elementary school playground.

Think about that for a moment.

We spend years teaching our children not to call people names, not to bully others, and to treat people with respect.

Then they turn on the television and watch the very people leading our nation doing exactly what we've told them not to do.

There's an old saying: Attitude reflects leadership.

Well, here we are.

Can we put that toothpaste back in the tube? I honestly don't know. I suspect the political landscape has changed in ways that won't be easily reversed.

And I wonder how many voters, regardless of political affiliation, find themselves agreeing with a candidate's policies but unable to support the way that candidate conducts himself or herself.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again.

When I go to the polls, I'm not voting for a pastor.

I understand that.

But is it really too much to expect a certain level of dignity, maturity, and professionalism from someone seeking public office?

I don't think so.

When Our Politics Start Replacing Our Theology

Having spent most of my life in Christian circles, I've noticed another interesting phenomenon.

When Republicans lose an election, there are inevitably some Christians who act as though the world is coming to an end.

Suddenly, Jesus must be returning tomorrow. Someone has identified the Antichrist, and every headline becomes another piece of an elaborate end-times puzzle.

Never mind sound theology or a proper understanding of eschatology. We've got election results to interpret!

Then, when Republicans win, the rhetoric can swing in the other direction.

The sentiment behind those COEXIST bumper stickers seems to disappear, and suddenly people who voted differently are being called all sorts of names.

Neither response is particularly becoming.

And neither one looks much like Jesus.

I'm not suggesting that elections don't matter. They absolutely do. Elections have consequences, and the decisions made by our elected leaders affect real people.

But somewhere along the way, I fear that some Christians have allowed their political identity to become so intertwined with their spiritual identity that they struggle to separate the two.

Our hope was never supposed to be found in a political party.

Not the Republican Party.

Not the Democratic Party.

Not any political party.

As followers of Christ, our hope is found in Jesus.

That was true before the polls opened yesterday, and it's still true this morning.

So, What Do We Do Now?

What should our response be when an election doesn't go the way we hoped?

How should we treat those who voted differently?

How should we conduct ourselves in conversations at work, around the dinner table, on social media, and even in our churches?

I think Jesus gave us a pretty good starting point in Matthew 22:37–39:

"Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

Notice what Jesus didn't say.

He didn't say to love your neighbor only if they vote like you.

He didn't say to love your neighbor only if they share your political convictions.

He didn't say to love your neighbor only when your preferred candidate wins.

He simply said to love your neighbor.

That's it.

So, to my Democratic friends, you're still my friends.

To my Republican friends, you're still my friends.

If we disagree politically, that's okay. We can have a conversation, exchange ideas, and perhaps even learn something from one another.

And if we still disagree when the conversation is over, we can shake hands, share a meal, and move on with life.

What a concept!

My father taught me something years ago about elections that has stuck with me.

If you don't like how things turned out, show up at the polls next time and try again.

That's the beauty of living in a country where we have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

Sometimes your candidate wins.

Sometimes your candidate loses.

But life goes on.

This morning, after talking politics with Emma and Noah, breakfast ended and the day continued. There was school to attend, work to do, people to care for, and a whole lot of life still waiting to be lived.

And perhaps that's the perspective we all need a little more of.

The election is over. The votes have been counted. Some are celebrating, and others are disappointed.

But tomorrow morning, we're still going to wake up with the same responsibility we had yesterday.

To love God.

To love our neighbors.

To make a difference wherever God has placed us.

And to remember that the Kingdom of God is much bigger than the outcome of an American election.

So, in the words of those great philosophers, John, Paul, George, and Ringo…

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on…"

And indeed it does.