“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him (Jesse’s oldest son Eliab); for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
I Samuel 16:7 NRSV
In Biblical times the common folk probably believed that their rulers were chosen by God (whichever God they believed in). Not entirely so with the chosen people who were led out of Egypt into the promised land. Yes, they had a God-chosen leader in Moses who guided them during the 40 years of wanderings in the desert. But they didn’t really get to vote on it and rebelled by creating a golden calf when Moses spent too much time with God. Later, when it came to inhabiting the land, there was a time of no kingships. Instead, they were guided by prophets and judges. God actually was supposed to be their main leader, their King, the one they looked to for safety and prosperity. But they started worshiping other Gods who had been in the land before they got there. The Biblical witness suggests that God attempted to establish a relationship with this specific group of people. But the people cried out to God to give them a king so they would be like other nations in the world. And so, God chose Saul and had the prophet Samuel anoint him as their king. Saul proved himself by winning in battle–a very kingly thing to do. But that was a long time ago.
And this Kingship thing was not going as well as God had hoped. Saul messed up by not obeying God. He allowed the people to keep some of the spoils of war instead of burning everything as God had instructed him to do. When Samuel confronted him about this, Saul blamed the people in a kind of “why should we waste good stuff” moment. Obviously, recycling was not on the agenda back them. Obedience was the lesson to be learned. So God decided to choose a different king. Even Samuel was upset that Saul blew it. God had to tell Samuel to get over it and send him out to anoint a new King. It never occurred to Samuel that he might have a vote about who should be King. He just obeyed the Lord. But he had the advantage of direct instructions from God. So, Samuel went to Jesse’s house to find the son who God had chosen to replace Saul. (Spoiler alert: It’s David.) This seems to be the beginning of Israel’s political culture. Prophets, priests and now kings would become a norm that God allowed because that is what the people wanted. Sometimes I wonder if God regretted that move. Sometimes I wonder if God allowed it to teach us something bigger about how to live together in peace.
We are still a stiff-necked people who rebel. Government continues to be a necessary evil. This is the 21st century and in our political life, we decide who leads. We choose our leaders through the process of voting. People of faith still believe that God is behind this process because people of faith trust that God’s purpose is for the common good and welfare of the people. And we know our job is to hold leadership accountable. Messiah came to let justice roll down like waters. Jesus taught about the heart of God. Perhaps God learned that the people would prefer someone who they can see and hear and touch to tell them what to do and guide them in civility. But what principles should we use for choosing our leadership? Let’s remember God looks on the heart!
Recently we have seen in increase in the number of laws attempting to restrict voting rights. Just who should be allowed to choose leaders has always been up for debate since the founding of the USA. Whenever I enter the voting booth, I will always remember my grandmother wagging her finger and telling me I’d better vote because it took women so many years to get the privilege to do so. Guilt trip aside, what makes for a quality voter? This seems to be a new concept catching on as a brand.
May I suggest that the words quality and voter do not belong together? Quality is a noun that means the standard of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something, an essential or distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute. In the phrase “quality voter,” quality is being used as an adjective. This use is not appropriate when speaking about human beings. The quality of something is a measure from manufacturing were the application of some element to the system can improve the quality. Human beings are not widgets. And if you insist on using quality as an adjective for a voter, then just who or what fairly determines the distinctive characteristic, property, or attribute to be measured and thus improved or excluded?
May I suggest the adjective “faithful” instead? A faithful voter is someone who does their political homework:
- researching candidates’ positions on policy
- reviewing the candidates’ historical interaction with the community in civic events
- assessing the candidates’ use of resources and stewardship of money
- honoring the candidates’ ability to reach across the table and engage in respectful dialog with people who disagree
- considering the fruit of the candidates’ labors, past voting record and proposed legislation
- determining the ability to serve the people without undue influence and pressure from others.
- observing responsible use of media for the common good
- engaging the elected officials by e-mail and letters to inform and hold the officals accountable for voting records
I am able to do some of these things which makes me maybe a semi-faithful voter. Truth is, I am not sure if I would be considered a quality voter by those who are using the term. As a white woman who does not own property, if this were 1776, I could not vote. But that doesn’t mean I would not have cared about what was going on with my government. In truth, we all probably fall short of being faithful voters, but we have the privilege of trying and learning to do better. I learned a lot after I voted for Richard Nixon. As a practicing Christian of the Lutheran school of theology, I attempt to be faithful in my selection of candidates for public office. I don’t expect to know if my choice is God’s choice, and I would not trust anyone who claimed to know God’s choice. I would probably have a very long conversation with God about that! I expect God to work through the winners to promote the general welfare and the ultimate Kingdom of God. But I have learned a lesson of obedience to the principles of citizenship that require me to be hands on about chosing candidates and holding them accountable. It is necessary work to do in a democratic republic.
The abiding principle remains: Look on the heart. That’s what God does. Not the most handsome, not the tallest, not the pocketbook, not the party affiliation, not the position in cultural wars, not the PAC supported, not the social media manipulations. THE HEART. We have evolved politically from the Biblical Kingship days. Some may regret this, others may rejoice. Life is complicated on this small planet and anyone who has the heart to engage in political work for the good of all people living here deserves our support and prayers for God’s guidance and protection and for strength and wisdom to serve faithfully. And as a struggling faithful voter, I feel it’s my job to hold those who represent me in the political forum accountable for their actions in the community they serve.
May I suggest:
Look at the list of faithful voter qualities and pick one that you can personally improve upon in preparation for the
midterm elections.
Select a local public offical in your community and pray for strength, wisdom and skill at their job so that your community may live in peace and safety for all its citizens.