Hello!

My name is Carter and I am a new writer here for the Bereans at the Gate.  I hope you find my posts engaging and at least a little comical.  Enough about me – on with the show!

For most of human history, the average Joe has had very little say about how he is governed.  This makes a lot of sense.  Romans three confirms for us that everyone is wicked, and there is no way around that on our own (SPOILERS: Jesus solves the problem of wickedness by giving his life on the cross and defeating death).  Because people are wicked, they want to take advantage of others; they want to extract.  Therefore, for most of human history leaders, who are wicked by nature, have set up extractive institutions in order to oppress the people below them and stay in power.  Obviously, this sort of system is a bummer for anyone not in charge, and an extractive system typically leads to very little prosperity.  It is no coincidence then that as people gained more freedom all over the world, prosperity rose.  Acemoglu and Robinson make a great case for inclusive systems over extractive systems in their book Why Nations Fail, so I do not need to reinvent the wheel here.  Suffice it to say, inclusion is a rare privilege, and we should not squander it.

Enter 2020 (or 2016 because I heard the same things then): we’re faced with a decision that many of my Christian friends describe as “impossible.”  Should Trump or Biden be our next President.  The moral arguments against each candidate are mostly valid.  This year, Christians are faced with a tough choice at the very top, and it is discouraging many people around me from voting.  Not voting seems like a convenient way to wash one’s hands of the whole affair as we wait for the next insert your favorite President here.  I’m certainly not here to tell you how to vote in November; however, I will tell you to vote. 

Many Christians miss the forest for the trees.  In their defense, most Americans do as well.  Elections do not just decide who sits in the Oval Office.  Local, State, and other Federal elections matter just as much (if not collectively more) than who sits in the White House.  Furthermore, to justify my discussion above, most people have had no say in how they are governed, so I urge you to not throw away your say because the candidates at the top are repulsive to you.  This year more than many I think Americans have witnessed the importance of Governors and State Legislators.  Right now, we’re watching the importance of the Senate play out.  Every two weeks I’m reminded of the importance of local elections because of the city income tax I pay (growing up in rural Michigan did not prepare me for that).

In addition to the sway you can have on all of the elections happening, I think it is wise to participate.  Romans 13 tells believers to submit to those God gives the sword to, so why forfeit the small say we have in that.  Additionally, there are Old Testament examples of faithful followers of God participating to the capacity that they could in the pagan governments they were a part of at the time.  Daniel served Babylon and Persia, and you’d be hard pressed to argue that those nations were led by upstanding folks.  Joseph worked for the good of every master he was placed under, no matter their rank or national origin.  Jeremiah 29:7 instructs captives to work for the good OF THEIR CAPTORS.  When given the opportunity to add our voice to the discussion, we ought to.  Not only are we instructed to fight for the good of our city, we are shown how to gracefully participate in secular government.  The issues at hand are complicated, and no matter who we vote for, we’re voting for a mixed bag because people are dynamic and complicated.  We’d be foolish to pretend that any election between two people is entirely cut and dry.  However, we have an opportunity to decide how our country is run.  So please, do not waste your privilege.  Vote!