Vote For Pax
by Osheta Moore
In September, my son turned 18, which means he can vote for the first time in this election. His father and I sat down with him to help him read over the voter registration form (eventually he decided to do it online) and because of the Coronavirus, we made a commitment to vote early at our local library (check with your state on how to do so) to avoid large crowds on election day. Our son has strong core convictions around politics — he cares about the climate, immigration, the cost of education, the end of the pandemic, and the racial reckoning in our country. With all these issues in our world, he looked at me and asked, “Does my vote really mean anything?”
We at Pax are not political experts. We cannot tell you the exact number each candidate needs to win or precisely why a “swing state” matters, or even if mailing in our ballots has any significance in this election. What we do know is Jesus and His politics. What we know is our core identity as Image Bearers of God and that the primary calling of Peacemakers in this world is to defend, preserve, and proclaim the Belovedness of all people through our actions, deeds, thoughts, and words. In this election guide, our hope is to give you a vision of not how you should vote but how to use your vote in 2020.
This guide will also challenge you to do two things: avoid the pitfalls of thinking your vote is your identity and anyone who votes differently is your enemy. While it may be common for those in the world to have their highest sense of identity in their political party or their nation, for Christians, our primary identity is as citizens of the Kingdom of God that is beautifully represented by all nations, cultures, and ethnicities. America is not a Christian Nation; the Kingdom of God is the only reality that’s wholly Christ-centered.
Jesus made it very clear that we seek first the Kingdom of God in Matthew 6, which means we reject over-valuing our vote, over-identifying with a political party, and over-simplifying the position of another person (thereby making them a kind of enemy to us). This guide is here to help you tease out any anxieties, questions, and objections you may have. You’ll have a handy at-glance card that will help you identify Kingdom postures towards voting; a pact to serve as a mantra as you prepare to vote; and a seven day guide of thoughts that will help you think about your vote as a Peacemaker. The prayer guide also has an audio component to go along with the reflection.
So friends, let’s choose to be peacemakers both within ourselves and in this moment by using our vote as an instrument of peace. Let us decide to have a Pax-shaped politic.
To view the full guide go to madeforpax.org and download it for free!
