{"id":583,"date":"2008-11-04T00:01:29","date_gmt":"2008-11-04T00:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/a-christian-response-to-the-2008-presidential-election-part-2.html"},"modified":"2008-11-04T00:01:29","modified_gmt":"2008-11-04T00:01:29","slug":"a-christian-response-to-the-2008-presidential-election-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/a-christian-response-to-the-2008-presidential-election-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"A Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 2 of series: A Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nIn my last post I began discussing a Christian response to the presidential election. More accurately, I began repeating a discussion I posted four years ago. At that time, I wrote this series without knowing the results of the election itself. I was trying to articulate a Christian response to the election that wasn’t dependent on its results or on partisan affections. Here’s what I have so far:<\/p>\n

Facet #1: We Should Act Upon the Call of Jesus to Peacemaking in the Way We Relate to Our Fellow Citizens. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In today\u2019s post I\u2019ll discuss the second and third facets of a Christian response to the presidential election.
\nFacet #2: We Need to Reaffirm Our Dual Citizenship.<\/strong>
\nChristians are to live in this world, but not of this world. Though we are citizens of a nation \u2013 and ought to exercise our citizenship faithfully \u2013 we find our true citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20). Moreover, we are to exercise our citizenship in a way that is consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:27). Thus, no matter how involved we may be in secular politics, we must always stand back and view earthly affairs from a divine perspective. And no matter how much we may support one candidate or the other, we must always remember that our primary allegiance is not to any human being, or to any political party, but to the one true God.
\nThe fact that we are citizens of heaven should not mean we care less about human politics, however. In fact, the more we embrace our heavenly home, the more we realize that we have been \u201csent\u201d by God into this world to make a difference for his kingdom. For those of us who live in a democratic nation, this surely entails living out our citizenship as an act of discipleship.
\nBut, at the same time, as citizens of heaven we are not beholden to the narrowness of any nation or party or ideology. We have a perspective from which to critique, not only our political opponents, but also political allies and even ourselves. Moreover, we have a perspective from which to affirm our political opponents when they act in ways consistent with God\u2019s kingdom.
\nThus our dual citizenship doesn\u2019t dilute our joy or our sorrow over the results of a presidential election. But it does allow us to see such things in a heavenly light. It allows us to see beyond raw partisanship. Moreover, it reminds us that there is only one true Savior of the World, and his name isn\u2019t John or Barack, but Jesus.
\nFacet #3: We Need to Refocus Upon Our Fundamental Mission. <\/strong>
\nOn the day before the election, we Christians had a mission in the world. We were sent by Jesus Christ to make disciples from all nations (Matt 28:19). We were called to be light in the world, so that as people see our good works they might give glory to God (Matt 5:14-16). As Christians, we have accepted God\u2019s instruction through the Hebrew prophet Micah to \u201cdo justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God\u201d (Mic 6:8). We joined Jesus in his mission of bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free, and proclaiming the year of the Lord\u2019s favor (Luke 4:18-19). As the church of Jesus Christ, we have accepted our calling to be a provisional demonstration of the truth of the gospel, not only to this world, but to all powers in the universe (Eph 3:1-13). On Monday, November 1st, 2004, and on Monday, November 3, 2008, this was our primary mission as believers in Jesus Christ. (Photo: Christ\u2019s Great Commission window from the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John\u2019s, Newfoundland. This is the oldest Anglican Parish in Canada, having been founded in 1699 as a response to Christ\u2019s Great Commission in Matthew 28.<\/span>)
\nIt\u2019s still our primary mission today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, until Christ finishes the work of new creation. No election result will change this basic mission. Nor will a struggling economy or economic prosperity. Nor will a season of peace or the threat of terrorist attack. Nor will the enjoyment of political freedom or life under political oppression.
\nIn saying this I\u2019m not minimizing the importance of secular government and politics. Far from it. But I am aware that such matters, as significant as they may be on one level, can easily distract us from our primary calling as Christians. Given how much attention has been focused upon the presidential election in the last year \u2013 for better or for worse \u2013 it may be time for each of us to refocus our sights on what matters most in life. And it may also be an opportune time for our churches to do the same.
\nAdded in 2008<\/em>: In recent weeks, the troubled economy has often stolen the spotlight from the presidential election. The greatest concern of many Americans right now is not who will be the next President, but how and when the economy will be fixed. As much as I join those who are concerned about the recent economic downturn, I’m also aware that it can help us to realize what matters most in life. These things, like family and faith, cannot be purchased with money. They are both free and inestimably valuable. Moreover, when the world economy spins out of control, we realize once again that God, and God alone, is worthy of our full trust.
\nIn my next post I\u2019ll finish up this series by addressing elements 4 and 5 of a Christian response to the presidential election.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 2 of series: A Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series In my last post I began discussing a Christian response to the presidential election. More accurately, I began repeating a discussion I posted four years ago. At that time, I wrote this series without…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-presidential-election-christian-response"],"yoast_head":"\nA Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election (Part 2) - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/583\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}