A Postlude to The Election

Yesterday Americans turned out in record numbers for a midterm election.  Many incumbents were dealt a defeat; many new comers to politics experienced a victory.  Some of the races that were expected to be non-contested,, instead became nail-biters.  Still many of the races are too close to call.  Many will demand recounts, so the final results might be days and even weeks away.  But, the bottom line is this: the Republicans held on to the majority role in the United States Senate - with their margin of majority perhaps increasing; the Democrats regained the majority role in the United States House of Representatives, although by not as great a margin as first guessed. 


Once again our nation is faced with a divided government.  What will be the consequences?  As I have looked at the returns from last night, knowing that some of the races are yet to be decided, there seems to be two ways our government will be impacted.  First, the most negative one is that for the next two years there will be a stalemate with very little being accomplished.  We have seen periods of stalemate before and it has not been beneficial to anyone.  Could this occur once again?  The early indications are that it could easily move in this direction.  Friends, this stalemate or non-stalemate lies within the soon-to-be chosen leadership within the House.  The old-guard leaders quickly went on record that among the first things that they will do is to increase the investigation of President Trump, to subpoena mountains of administrative records.  It will be a House leadership team that will have as its focus the President. 


But, what will be the attitude of some of those first-time elected Representatives?  Many of them ran on a platform of helping their constituents.  Will they continue to affirm those words `of pledge delivered to the people, or will they quickly fall into the desires of the old-guard?  I will be watching closely as new leaders are chosen on both sides of the aisle to get a sense of whether there will be a stalemate or not.


The second result, and one that I certainly am hopeful will occur, is that the leadership of both the House and the Senate will sit down with the President and begin to work through many of the problems facing our nation.  The economy is strong, but how can it continue in that pathway of strength?  Immigration policies need to be changed with loop holes needing to be closed.  Will there even be a civil discussion about that issue?  Healthcare needs continued reforms; again, will civility prevail in those discussions?  Will the leaders in Washington realize the need to work on behalf of all Americans, or will they just follow the "party line?" 


I know that many Christians were praying diligently for this election.  Together we affirmed that God was in control.  So, what is our role now that the election is over?  What should we be doing?  First, and perhaps most importantly, we are to pray for those who have been elected.  The Apostle Paul write these instructions to Timothy: "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4).  I may not agree with those in positions of authority - I am pretty sure that the Apostle Paul did not affirm everything that the Roman Emperor Nero said and did - yet, I believe Paul prayed for him.  Should we not do the same?  Leaders are in those roles because of the will of God.  Again, I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God" (Romans 13:1).  So, our first responsibility is to pray.


Secondly, I need to stay informed.  How can that be done today?  It seems that a person can no longer have confidence in a fair and balanced reporting from the mainstream media.  So, if I am going to be informed, then I need to go outside of the mainstream.  I can have direct communication with my senators and representatives, with my governor, with my mayor.  I can read from papers such as the Wall Street Journal which attempts at a more balanced approach in its news reporting.  There are many online news sources as well.  The better informed I am, the more focused I will be in my prayers. 


Another election has come and gone.  In a few weeks, the focus will be upon the 2020 presidential election.   Every election cycle is a celebration of the genius of our Founding Fathers.  A representative democracy is not a fail-safe method of governing; in fact, the only truly fail-safe government will occur when Jesus reigns upon His throne in Jerusalem.  But until that day, I am grateful to live in a nation where the voice of the people still can be heard.