The Election and Faith

We are now, oh so close to election day.  Long lines stretch into the dark this weekend, as people take advantage of early voting options.  Many people are hoping for the best, and fearing the worst.

And many people are praying

I am powerfully aware of people I respect,

people who have a deep faith

who believe Mr. Romney would be "God's choice" for President

Catholic Bishops and priests

some ministers

are so sure that God would choose Romney

that they endorse him from the pulpit

They point to the abortion issue

and gay marriage

and a handful of other ethical issues

and take their stand

with absolute certainty they hold

Bibles aloft and declare

God would vote Republican

I have other friends 

people I respect,

people who have a deep faith,

who believe Obama would be "God's choice" for President

they point to the many passages in the bible about taking care of the poor

and providing for the "strangers" in our midst

they talk about not judging, and compassion

and feel the policies of the Democrats better match the Biblical mandate

I have to admit, I tend to like those better who seem to want to take care of the poor

and are for generosity and compassion

But......

I have been thinking about certainty

One of the things I have learned about God

is that God is too big

too complex

for me to understand

this is the mystery the Bible talks about

that unknowable side of God

that so often surprises, even shocks us

I can be certain there is a God

I can be certain that God is love

I can be certain that God is all about grace

When it comes to God I can be certain of many things

But when I 

or any one presumes to know fully

religious arrogance ensues

as does rigidity

judgmentalism

hate

and yes, violence

we cannot for a moment presume we know everything, or even most things about God

we can only know some things

those things revealed and inadequately expressed in story and metaphor

and more adequately expressed in  Jesus

we must be honest

and understand that we are stuck between knowing and unknowing

Richard Rohr talks about us having to accept both the mountaintop, the place of certainty, and the desert, the place of wandering. 

“The mountain is about presence, the desert about absence”

“The mountain is about speaking, the desert about silence”

“The mountain is about knowing, the desert about not knowing.”

unless we understand this 

our certitude about what God wants, about our being on "God's side 

will lead to us to use God 

yes, use God

to justify violence, hatred, prejudice and "our" way of doing things

we must live in the middle

between certainty and uncertainty, knowing and un-knowing

and in that middle way, go deep, into our deepest self

through prayer and meditation

and there in that deep place

listen, and receive, and draw forth deeper truths and meanings

and in that place,
find humility

God is not a Republican

Nor is God a Democrat

God is the one we know

at the depths of our being

and the one we can never totally know

God is the One revealed in Jesus

who told us to take care of the strangers

feed the poor

clothe the naked

protect the weak

I might be certain I know what that means about how I should vote

but in humility and uncertainty

I cannot speak for God

as one who lives between knowing and unknowing

I can only pray

and in humility and with uncertainty, vote according to what seem to me
to be the teachings of God

and the prompting of the Spirit

I can only pray

and in humility and uncertainty

treat with respect those whose faith takes them to a different place

I can only pray

and in humility and uncertainty

try not to move into arrogance or anger

try not to name call or belittle

try not to "use God" to justify my own way of thinking

but instead let God be God

and speak for Him/Herself  (I don't have that figured out either, but using both seems safer)

and in humility and uncertainty

hope we listen

and hear

and vote accordingly

Which way should that be?

I'm certain

but then again

I'm not

Blessings my friends

Go with your Biblical conscience

But Vote!