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               Happy Election Day! Lately it seems that election day is either a source of immense joy or of great sorrow, and regardless of what side you fall on this year it will almost certainly be a day of great conflict. Our current political climate has become similar to that of an active war zone. Voters are transformed into troops and sent out onto the battlefields of Thanksgiving gatherings, social media posts, and even into church congregations. The mission given is no longer to persuade, but instead to combat an enemy with zeal.

               I would like to challenge us to instead recall Hebrews 12:14 which says, “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord.” Or Romans 12:18, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” The Lord has called us to witness to the ends of the earth and one way in which we do that is by living peaceful lives. If we live peaceful lives that are marked by holiness and conflict comes to us from others, 1 Peter 3:16 says that it is those evildoers who bring the strife that will be put to shame in the end.

               A life of peace is not a life of weakness or silence. Peter and Paul are far from silent, and they preached the gospel with boldness. When this message brought them into conflict with the government they did not stir up controversy, riots, or strife in any way. Instead, Peter and Paul peacefully submitted to their own execution knowing that in the end the holiness that was present in their lives would testify to the glory of Christ through this blatant mistreatment of peaceful men.

               If Peter and Paul can face an unjust death with a peaceful attitude, then we can face disagreement with our fellow citizens in the same manner. Even if the day were to come in which our very faith causes strife and brings about condemnation from the world, we have no excuse to live our lives as anything other than quiet and peaceful. For even our Lord Christ himself was tried and killed unjustly, yet He who tells the storms to cease and has power of life and death itself did not stand up for justice with violence or hateful words. Instead, he allowed evil to be done to Him to provide the hope of salvation to the very ones nailing him to the cross.

               I pray that as another election comes and goes that we would be a shining light to our fellow citizens based not on the extreme nature of our words, but by the peace, holiness, grace, and forgiving way in which we interact with those around us. Let us stand up for what is good, speak the truth boldly, and live in such a way that nobody can put us to shame in anyway so that the truth spoken would be amplified.