Today is a voting day here in South Carolina and it got me thinking about the best resource I have stumbled upon to help me process my faith and politics and all the anger that is raging these days from Democrats, Republicans, and those of us fed up with the entire process. The resource I discovered this year is history itself. A few friends told me about this podcast and I want to share it with you because I think it will help you breath deep, pray for our leaders, and work to grasp a Christ-like approach to politics in these polarized days. The podcast is Presidential.
Released in 2016, this is a historical gem that is a great reminder about how our nation has navigated different leadership over the years. Each episode looks at a different president and explores the impact that leader made on our nation. History has a brilliant way of putting today in perspective. As I listened to each episode I was reminded how our political culture has always been messy. Our nation has endured through all different kinds of leaders and will endure in this season through the leadership of President Trump. Yes, I wrote his name down. I have lived through Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush (2 times), Clinton, and Obama. What I learned over the years is some I liked more than others but all deserved my respect and my prayers as a follower of Jesus. I have also learned over the years that I can’t place my trust in any one leaders. They will all make mistakes and need to be challenged. This is the beauty of the United States of America. God has given us the freedom to challenge and speak out. I pray that as followers of Jesus we allow Him to shape how we challenge the process.
As a follower of Jesus and a pastor this podcast helped me remember…
- I am called to respect and pray for the leaders of our nation, state, and city.
- God is in control and is not surprised.
- I can’t allow fear to drive me.
- Social Media is a full of extremes and is not a great place to talk about complicated issues.
- I need to listen to the perspectives of both parties.
I hope this podcast can help give you some perspective like it gave me this year. Listen to it. Learn where we have been. Get out and vote. Share your opinion with love and respect. Allow your allegiance to Jesus to be more important than your political party or agenda.