As we approach Election Day, we need to remind ourselves that our vote--and I sincerely hope you will vote--actually means something. We are not merely deciding who the next American Idol will be, or registering our opinion
in a cola taste-test; we are choosing leaders who will affect our lives, and the lives of millions of others. We cannot, and should not attempt to, avoid the question of what our choice has to do with the issue of life itself.
With the harsh contrast that is the result of decades of debate, and rancor that is beyond debate, the two polarized positions are called "pro-life," and "pro-choice." If the pro-life side is passing out the labels they are apt to brand the other side as "pro-abortion." If the pro-choicers are choosing the descriptions they are likely to call the other side "anti-abortion" or "anti-choice."
The fact is most pro-choice folk don't want their daughter to have an abortion. In general they are in favor of protecting life. While the pro-life position is dealing with an absolute--dead or alive--they certainly are, by and large, not guilty of the heartlessness assigned to them by their political enemies. They have a great deal of compassion for women facing tough choices.
In politics everything has to be reduced to what can be expressed on a bumper sticker. Life is more complicated than that. One complication has to do with the perception that some voters have that some pro-lifers are more interested in protecting the life of the unborn than they are in caring for the already born. It is a valid consideration. Still . . .
When we touch the screen this coming Tuesday, the choice we make will say something about what we really believe about human life, and our responsibility toward it. The vote we cast will, in part, influence our society, and determine the guiding principles by which it is ordered.
- Is freedom of choice so important that it must be maintained even if it involves the taking of a life? or,
- Is human life a sacred trust, such that its preservation requires the limiting of choice in certain situations?
I'm not saying the choices are easy, or always clear, but God has placed us in a country where we have responsibilty to vote, this Tuesday. Let's do it carefully, and prayerfully.
Lord, I have the privilege and responsibility of voting in just a few days. I want to cast my vote in a way that is honoring to You and best for my country. Help me to honestly, and fearlessly look at the issues before us. Lord, I pray that truth will come to the fore, and that Your will will be done. Amen
It's STTA.
* I say, "most" because some Americans have already voted, and some you are citizens of other nations. If you are in either group, I certainly encourage you to join us in prayer.
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