FREE AND FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Although November seems like a long way off, politics has us thinking of Election Day already. With Iowa Caucuses in full swing and the impending special election for the 27th district of New York underway, our minds are naturally drawn to the candidates for possible election. As “Free and Faithful Citizens” of the United States, we have a responsibility to be fully informed about what each of the candidates stand for in order to make an informed judgement about who we should elect.

The campaigns promise to be contentious and divisive. So how do we separate the truth from the lies, the real issues from the fog and the noise? How do we discern the road our nation should take to realize “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all of us?

As people of faith, the challenge, as in any important decision, is to find Christ in the middle and muddle of it all. Where do we see Jesus in the issues and public policy questions? Who speaks the voice of Christ for the vulnerable, the poor, the sick, the unemployed and underemployed in America? How does our nation best realize Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God? These are questions for us to contemplate in deciding for whom we will vote. Especially for people of faith, this is a difficult matter to decide.

In the coming months in the run up elections, let us keep in mind that Christ is with us. Let us listen to his voice with humility; let us embrace the principles of his Gospel with generosity of heart and spirit; let us remember to bring God’s Kingdom of justice and peace to reality in this moment in our nation’s history.