Deciding How to Vote

Psalm 72 is rooted in the monarchy of ancient Israel with clear messianic overtones. It is the most comprehensive prayer for the king in all of Scripture. It appeals to God for values that I believe we can pray will be manifest in all human governments. Of course, the ancient Israelites didn’t get to vote for their king, nor did Jesus or Paul get to vote for the Roman Emperor, yet, I believe Psalm 72 suggests content for the prayers for those in positions of authority as the apostles encouraged.

 

We who follow Jesus in the US do have the opportunity to not only pray for those in government but also to vote. I have expressed many times that in our properly pluralistic, secular culture I do not expect those in government to be my brand of Christian or even to identify themselves as Christians. Not only does the US Constitution forbid religious tests for holding public office, I am convinced the community of we who aspire to follow Jesus is stronger without legal and cultural crutches. I look for integrity, transparency, competence, and highly value trustworthiness in the pursuit of justice and peace, ethics and compassion.

 

In my pastoral career I never wanted to tell people what to think but how to think like Jesus from an overflow of internalized Scripture. One implication of that is that this far supersedes loyalty to a political party or identity with a political philosophy. This brings me back to Psalm 72 (from my monthly prayer journey through the Psalms for the past 50 years). I commend prayerful, contemplative reading of the entire Psalm, but I have excerpted the lines that are informing, and I believe determining, how I will vote in this election cycle, knowing any choice will be an approximation at best.

 

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.

 

In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound.

 

He delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.

 

May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all day long. May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field.

 

May all nations be blessed in him.