Dear Friends,
I hesitate to write about anything even adjacent to politics again. But I can’t help it. And honestly, this isn’t really about Red vs. Blue. It’s about how emotionally invested any of us should be in the outcome of the elections that will take place in less than three weeks.
Here goes.
I was prompted to reflect on this today when I read the comments made by Mark Helperin. He’s covered politics as a journalist and consultant for more than 25 years, first for ABC News, then at MSNBC, at Bloomberg and on Showtime, and now at Newsmax. He worked for a while for the No Labels Party, a group of centrist politicians who explored the idea of a middle of the road presidential candidate for the 2024 election. He has also over the years faced repeated charges of sexual harassment from some of his fellow female collogues.
That’s the background. Here’s what he said.
If Donald Trump wins in three weeks, “I think it will be the cause of the greatest mental health crisis in the history of the country. I think tens of millions of people will question their connection to the nation, their connection to other human beings, their connection to their vision of what their future, and the future for their children, could be like. I think it will require an enormous amount of access to mental health professionals. I think it’ll lead to trauma in the workplace.
“I think there’ll be alcoholism, broken marriages... yeah… I think it will cause the biggest mental health crisis in the history of America. And I don’t think it will be a passing thing that, by the inauguration, we’ll be fine. I think it will be sustained, unprecedented, and hideous, and I don’t think the country’s ready for it.
“I think there will be some violence. I think there’ll be workplace fights, fights at kids' birthday parties, I think there will be protests that will turn violent…
“I hope I’m wrong, but I think that’s what’s going to happen for tens of millions of people because they think that their fellow citizens supporting Trump is a sign of fundamental evil at the heart of their fellow citizens and of the nation. That’s how they view it.”
Think back to 2016. According to the National Institutes of Health, the election of Donald Trump that year was “a clinically significant, psychologically traumatic event” for more than 25% of university students. Classes were cancelled. Counseling was set up on campus.
Now think back to 2020 and the hundreds of thousands of people who refused to accept the election results, leading to riots at the US Capital.
Mix in Covid, George Floyd and the riots that followed, the invasion of Ukraine and the attacks on Israel. Would you say your mental and emotional health, along with the mental and emotional health of your fellow citizens, has improved over the past 8 years?
One reason I think Mark Helperin may be onto something is because I think for many people, political ideology has become a default religion. There are people who have turned away from God who are now looking for a candidate or a political party to do what only God can do. They think the right person in the Oval Office will bring them joy or peace or safety or security. It’s no wonder when political candidates sprinkle messianic rhetoric in their slogans and speeches. “I alone can fix this.” “My election means the planet can begin to heal.” “This is a battle between good and evil.” “I will bring hope. I will bring change.”
You don’t rally your voters by saying moderate things. Political issues are characterized as “existential.” Opponents are demonized. Every vote is consequential because “our very democracy is at stake. It’s on the ballot.”
Let me be clear. Elections do have consequences. The moral and spiritual landscape of a nation is affected by our leaders and how they lead. The policy choices we make as a nation affect the moral fabric of our nation. Who wins the elections in three weeks will affect the direction of our country. We should be engaged and we should vote.
But let me remind you of these truths as well.
No matter who wins the upcoming elections, God’s position in the universe does not change. He cannot be overthrown or removed from office. He is not on the ballot.
The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. (Daniel 4:17b)
“It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.” (Jeremiah 27:5)
There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1)
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1)
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. (Psalm 146:3)
I find myself increasingly convinced that the state of our nation in the years to come is less about who is or isn’t elected in three weeks, and is instead tied to whether the spiritual condition of our country continues to be as anemic and shallow as it currently is. Until more of us start spending more of our time reading God’s Word than we do reading The New York Times or The Daily Wire, or listening to God’s Word more than we listen to Fox News or NPR, we will continue in our current state of anxiety and tumult.
Put another way, unless God sends a revival in our nation, I don’t think the American experiment can last much longer. I agree with our second President, John Adams, who famously said "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” As we continue our national decline in morality and piety, I think we will start to see just how inadequate a document our constitution – or any constitution, for that matter – really is.
I hope Mark Halperin’s forecast is overstated. It all depends on how many of our fellow citizens see the results of the upcoming elections as a threat to our nation and our existence. The more anxious and troubled people are by the outcome of the election on either side, the more likely we are to face the kind of trauma he is talking about.
But if “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1) then whoever wins and whoever loses, we can remind ourselves on November 6 (or whatever day the election results are finally decided) that Psalm 118:24 is true, no matter what.
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Here’s the report on our donations and expenses for the month of September:
September Giving: $41,525
September Expenses: $37,575
Year to Date Giving: $335,195
Year to Date Expenses: $408,295
Balance on Hand on 9/30/24 $60,492*
* Once again, our year-to-date giving number only reflects general giving. Building fund gifts are not included here. The balance on hand number shows the balance in our church operating account. In addition, we have more than $200,000 (including building fund giving) in a church money market account to earn a preferred interested rate.
As always, thanks for your generous giving to Redeemer. And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Tim Friesen.
Trunk or Treat is coming soon!
As you head to Kroger or Walmart or Costco, remember to pick up a bag or two of Halloween candy that you can add to our stash for our upcoming Trunk or Treat event. Bring your candy with you to church this Sunday or next Sunday so we have some idea of how much we have and how much we may need to supplement our stockpile.
And if you’re interested in setting up a trunk for the kids, Jen Gurney would love to talk to you!
We had a great time last Thursday at our second Men’s Institute. Thanks to Dr. Danny Hinton for facilitating the discussion.
If you haven’t attended one of these gatherings yet, why not plan to join us in November when we meet to discuss theological triage and how we can determine which theological issues are critical and which are less important.
When the first Christians began to tell others about Jesus and call them to repent and believe the gospel and follow Him, there was one aspect of their engagement with others that they prayed for and that is often lacking in our own interaction with others. Do you know what they had that is frequently missing in our day? We’ll find the answer in Acts 4 this Sunday.
See you in church.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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