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Reader, It’s almost over. And it can’t come soon enough for me, how about for you? The 2024 presidential election here in the US. It reminds me of the podcast episode I did right before the 2020 election, episode 074. What was true then is still true today, four years later. Elections are relational minefields. They divide people and rarely, if ever, bring us together. In that podcast episode I mentioned a few things worth considering in 2020 that are also applicable here in 2024. Here’s a sample: •Fear and distrust are toxic emotions characterizing this election season. You see them everywhere. •The deeper the relationship between people, the less threatening election discussions are. The more distant the relationship, the greater the possibility of damaging that relationship. •Our relationships are more important than elections, which come and go. But relationships, when nurtured well, can last a lifetime. •If your candidate wins, don’t gloat. Don’t rejoice. It’s not going to be nearly as good as you think. Be kind. Extend grace. Be gentle. Your relationships with people who backed the other person are more important than any election. •If your candidate loses, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t sulk, whine, or complain. The sun will come up tomorrow. It’s not going to be as bad as you think. Your relationships with those who backed the winner are more important than this election. •If the other candidate wins, know that we’ve had really bad presidents in the past, and we survived them all. We’ll survive this one, too. •And above all, remember God controls who our leaders are. Romans 13:1 tells us that people in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Take comfort in that. God knows what he’s doing. I’ll close with a passage from the Bible, Philippians 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Election season never falls into any of these categories.
Until next time, keep thinking about the excellent things, John Certalic P.S. Click here if you’d like to hear episode 074, Relationships and Elections.” I go into more detail with what I share here, plus I also mention the place of politics in church, the nation of Kyrgyzstan several times, and the worst president in US History. I also come close to singing a Broadway show tune, but I stop myself in the nick of time. |
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“At the end of the day, nothing matters MORE than relationships.” — John Certalic
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