Here We Go Again

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I am not a political person. And my approach to American politics is probably not popular with most people, regardless of their political party or their values.

But this week I had two very different experiences that were both based in politics. On Tuesday night, I reluctantly watched the presidential debate between this year’s Republican and Democratic nominees. And on Friday, my husband and I went on a date to watch the movie, “Reagan”. These two events were a demonstration of contrasts and produced very different feelings in me.

Yes, I am old enough to have lived through the Reagan era; and yes, I thought he was a good president overall. So to some I’m sure that makes me biased. But I enjoyed watching the movie and reliving a different time in history – a time when at least a few politicians based their values on something outside of themselves. A time when some politicians believed there was a God-ordained right and wrong; and they seemed more interested in doing what was right than just accomplishing their own agendas.

We can no longer say those words about our political candidates today. To say we are a post-Christian nation would be an understatement, and the presidential debate just underscored that truth. As I wrote in both 2016 and 2020, in my lifetime it has become more and more difficult to categorize candidates based on moral character or values, not to mention the policies they stand for. I can no longer find a candidate for president that I respect and agree with using both of these parameters. I can easily argue against both candidates but find it difficult to argue for either of them! So voting is a much more difficult task for me these days. “Lord, give us wisdom!”

Yes, I wish there was a Ronald Reagan running this year; but there isn’t. And no politician is perfect because they are just humans. However, my comfort comes from the truth that no politician is or was intended to be our savior. Only Jesus was capable of accomplishing that work. So I will continue to rest in the truth of God’s sovereignty above anything that happens in America. And I’ll be glad when another election cycle is over and we can watch God’s will for our nation play out, knowing that only He knows who is the best candidate for His purposes in 2024.