Holistic voting and the reason there are no political parties in God's kingdom

I love election years. It seems every four years, as a nation, we actually start to talk about things - what's working, what's not working, what the rest of the world thinks of America, what role faith should have in politics, if any, and what issues are most important to us. I love the discussion, the debate, even the spin from the talking heads in cable news.

This year, I've really enjoyed the fact that, for the first time I can remember, Christians seem to be crawling out from underneath the thumb of the Republican party. While I generally like the conservative principles that the party has historically held, I feel betrayed. George W. Bush ran as a "compassionate conservative" and he's governed to the left of Bill Clinton in many, many ways.

When I look back on the 20th century, the GOP was often the party of peace. After all, truly conservative principles dictate that policing the world is never in America's self-interest. It was Richard Nixon that finally ended the Vietnam War; it was Ronald Reagan who ended the Cold War without firing a single shot.

The Bush Doctrine (here's your chance to learn what it is, Governor Palin) stated that preemptive military action could be justified if U.S. interests were threatened. But Mr. Bush never told us what constitutes a credible threat. As a result, and with bad intelligence, we went to war in a part of the world that's easily destabilized and, in the process, we provided our enemies with the greatest recruitment propaganda imaginable. In my opinion, this decision made America more vulnerable to future attacks, and did so with a price tag of billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of civilian lives.

But there are other issues where I trusted President Bush and now feel betrayed. For six of the last eight years, the Republican party has controlled the House, the Senate and the White House, but virtually nothing has been done to curb abortions in this country, though the GOP is supposed to be the party that values life. During this same period of time, the gap between the richest and the poorest in our nation has grown larger than ever. In addition, the lack of health coverage for more than 40 million people has been all but ignored.

I don't want to suggest that Bush did nothing right in eight years. I applaud the Bush administration for substantially increasing aid to Africa and encouraging other nations to do so. Still, like so many people, I feel like our country is headed in the wrong direction. So, like everyone else who's eighteen years of age and lacks a felony on their record, I'm left with a choice - McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden.

No matter who you support, I think it's important that neither candidate is running for the office of messiah. The man we elect will be president, not savior. That being said, I'm reminded of the greatest commandment. Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Luke 10:27, TNIV).

What impact will my vote have on my neighbor? is a question we all ought to ask before we enter the voting booth. This cannot be a question of self-interest; what may help the poor and the oppressed in the long run may hurt me in the short.

We should also ask ourselves how Jesus impacted those to whom He ministered. Jesus reserved his harshest words for religious leaders who believed they were self-sufficient, but was gentle with others he met, even some we would consider the vilest of sinners - prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus: "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice" (Isaiah 42:3). With that in mind, I have to ask myself, Who do we think we are when we try to force morality on other people? Jesus didn't do that. Instead, He loved people into the kingdom. It's much more difficult, much more sacrificial, and much more biblical. We need to stop trying to build the kingdom using the devil's tools (to borrow a phrase from Derek Webb). Besides, it's not about morality; it's about changed hearts and introducing people to the Creator, Sustainer and Savior of the Universe.

After thinking about that, the presidential election seems rather inconsequential. That being said, I believe the best thing for my neighbors is an Obama presidency. He doesn't have all the answers, nor do I agree with everything he stands for, but as I've weighed the various issues in my mind, I think he's the best choice. Others may do the same thing and end up choosing McCain. That's ok. That's what voting is all about. Regardless of who ends up being president, let's not forget the national conversation about where we are and where we're going. And, if you're a believer, let's help each other remember that the kingdom of God has no party affiliation.