Praying for the elections...'

I know, the last thing you want to hear now is the word "elections." Well, I'm praying for the elections--praying they will be over! Have we ever seen such a divisive time in the American experience? I would be happy to return to the "attack ads" of yesteryear. Today's are absolutely depressing. "If you vote for (fill in the blank), nuclear war can't be far behind. Every puppy in America will cease to exist, and you will be homeless. Our veterans? Fuggedaboutit!" And then, five minutes later, you see basically the same ad with the opponent's name in the blank! What are we to do? VOTE!

Now, while I agree with an article I read recently that said that it is a fundamentally American right NOT to vote, if one chooses, I do believe we should vote. If you are too disgusted to vote for the top names on the ticket, at least vote for your state and local offices who will represent you in "domestic" matters. If they, too, have been duking it out and acting like children, write in someone you think could do the job! At least vote for your local civic authorities, as they will set your tax rate! Oh, and don't forget that Pennsylvanians have a referendum on the ballot that is stated in so much doublespeak that you really DO have to do some reading to figure out which way to vote.

But vote. I can't take anyone seriously in a conversation about anything political when they admit they didn't vote. Voting is our "chip in the game," so to speak. Show up at the polls, and vote. I have a cure for those who feel that the nastiness and myriad misinformation present in this election cycle have rendered them so debilitated that they feel they can't vote: Read! Read editorials, articles in newspapers and from all manner of news sources. Don't just take in a steady diet of MSNBC or Fox News (and, God forbid, Breitbart or Daily Kos). Read editorials from people who have won Pulitzer Prizes, and who write for newspapers (or electronic media) that have been around for awhile. But READ. And don't believe everything you read, but enough that you can form an "educated" opinion, and one that is your own, not someone else's ideas just rammed down your throat. Then, make an educated vote. There is no way to know if your decision is "right" or "wrong." But make it well-thought-out!

Don't vote straight party ticket! Even if you wind up voting for every candidate of a given party, at least go through the exercise of looking over every name on the ballot and making conscious choices. Savor your right of casting a ballot.

And, as people of faith, of course you should pray about your voting decisions, as well as for all of the others casting ballots, and for each and every candidate as well, because some of them are going to win, and they may not be your choices. The world will not end if your candidates are not elected, despite what the goofy ads say. I think, ultimately, God does have some say in this whole thing, but I do not believe God is in the corner of any specific candidate. God will always be doing triage and picking up the pieces of the inevitable "less than stellar" performance of any government. That is why the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans, chapter 13, to pray for these people. Even Paul understood that politicians are usually quite human (maybe more so than their constituents?), and that prayer may be what keeps us alive.

Finally, please don't be a "single-issue" voter. It certainly is your right. Heck, you can vote for someone just because you like his tie or her hairstyle, but governing requires so much more than focusing on a single issue. As I read FaceBook, I see lots of people using abortion or veterans issues as the sole delineator as to for whom they will vote. This stuff is hard, and life is extremely complex. There are no simple solutions to our very difficult problems. That' s a fact, regardless of what the goofy ads say. Voting for someone for high office just because of what she or he says about the military, or immigration, or women's reproductive rights will not get us to where we need to go.

And once it's over, pray for the winners and the losers. They all need grace. And if they turn out to be lousy leaders, pray for each other as we all need grace. And if you are really disappointed in what these people do or don't do in office, consider exercising another right of your American citizenship: put your name on the ballot next time around!

One final prediction: Come Wednesday, November 9, we will all still be here. America will continue to be America, with its incredible blessings and its vexing problems. And as people of faith, our best response is to pray, and then get to the work of being a hard-working, responsible citizen, a loving neighbor, and the kind of patriot who lives it instead of just hiding behind the flag. Not a bad recipe for being a good Christian, too! Happy voting, Yinz, and above all, shalom!