No candidate will usher in the kingdom of God, but elections still shape the lives of your neighbors—and refusing to choose remains a choice.
A friend from an Amish and Mennonite background who lives among those communities in Ohio told me she is frustrated by the reluctance of some people she knows to vote. When she asks why they avoid participation, she often hears: “If it’s God’s will…”
This perspective suggests that God determines the outcome, seemingly settling their responsibility.
If we are tired of politics, let’s say so—but invoking God’s sovereignty to excuse passivity drags His name into a decision made by the individual.
The reluctance described extends far beyond Amish and Mennonite communities. Too many Christians skip elections while maintaining a vigorous schedule of complaining about results.
This “God will handle it” explanation puzzles me because we do not apply that reasoning to everyday life. Gracie would have questions.
I pray for Gracie before every operation. I still drive her to the hospital. After 40 years of caregiving, I have had plenty of occasions to trust God with things I could not control. I have also filled prescriptions, asked uncomfortable questions, and challenged decisions. In all of Gracie’s 98 operations, not one surgeon has said, “You prayed for God’s will? Good. I won’t need to scrub in.”
