What were they thinking?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
~ Apostle Paul writing to aspiring Christians in Philippi

“So, let’s just think about this for a moment.”
Presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania

“I think in a couple of days the voters of New Hampshire are going to take out the trash in Washington DC and that person’s name is Kamala Harris.”
~ V.P. candidate J.D. Vance speaking to MAGA faithful in New Hampshire

No matter the eventual outcomes of the national, state and local elections to be decided with the closing of the polls this evening, voters on both sides of the issues and the candidates will be looking at the winners and losers and asking of those who voted differently than them, “What were they thinking!?”

What were they thinking? It is the question that has ruffled my sensibilities and plagued my thoughts even before January 6, 2021, but most certainly ever since then. Whatever a significant portion of Americans who also identify as Christians were thinking as they waged their ‘Holy War’ against the seat of democracy, it is completely antithetical to my thoughts and understanding of what it means to be a practicing follower of the Christ in 21^st century America.

Whatever they were thinking when they then continued to enable a felonious insurrectionist to turn a political party into a petty personal cult of division, disdain, deceit, aggrievement and aggression is in my thinking beyond the pale. And the fact that they think of one party’s POTUS candidate as the “Antichrist” and the other’s as the “Messiah” (anointed by God), and think of me and my kind as “demon possessed” paints a revealing and unnerving picture of the polarity of thought processes between Americans who claim the same title of Christian.

In the days, months and years following this historic, consequential election, how are we who understand ourselves to be both Americans and Christians supposed to think… and to act? In the midst of the countless answers that could address this question, I think of a passage from a letter that Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles (those non-Jewish ‘others’) wrote to the followers of ‘The Way’ in Philippi. The epistle to the Philippians, written while Paul was in prison, came toward the end of his journeys and of his very life.

Alone in his cell with plenty of time to think, his thoughts turned to those dear friends in Christ that he would likely never see again in this mortal life. The pastoral advice he fervently imparts is no doubt a reflection of the thoughts that occupied his mind while imprisoned. With freedom stripped away and his very life in question, Paul speaks to fledgling Christians in Philippi not about the adiaphora (indifferent things) of life, but rather about the things that really matter for those living under the lordship of Christ.

He is saying, “When all is said and done, dear friends in Christ, in the midst of all the forces that assail us and are threat multipliers to our well-being, when hope is elusive and the odds are stacked against us, remember to think on these bedrock values (as modeled by Christ).”
Think about (and act upon) Truth.
Think about (and act upon) Honor.
Think about (and act upon) Justice.
Think about (and act upon) Purity/Holiness.
Think about (and act upon) Beauty.
Think about (and act upon) Virtue.
Think about (and act upon) Excellence.
Think about (and act upon) Praise.

Let these values rule your lives as imitators and followers of the Christ. No matter where you find yourselves, no matter your lot in life, no matter the appeals to your baser nature, think rather about what it means to be ‘in Christ.’ Think about how your old nature has been drown in baptism in order that you might rise to new heights of humanity (“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – II Corinthians 5:17). For this is who we are in Christ. We are the people who have been reconciled to God and Creation to be the embodiment of Truth, Honor, Justice, Purity, Beauty, Virtue, Excellence and Praise.

At this critical moment in history facing an election as consequential as perhaps that one of 1860, Americans who think of themselves as Christians should think long and hard about Pastor Paul’s plea for right thinking. And, indeed, in advance of the election in order to foster this kind of thinking, a diverse group of over 200 Christian leaders donned their critical thinking caps to draft and sign a Christian Faith and Democracy Statement. Chiefly organized by Jim Wallis, head of Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, the signers state, “We write in a moment of fierce urgency, as the people of God animated by faith, hope, and love. It is in this spirit that we reaffirm Christian support for democracy and invite all Christians and people of moral conscience to do the same.”

The statement opens with a declaration of crisis in both Democracy and the Church:
“The United States confronts a crisis of democracy, and the American church confronts a test of faith. Democracy stands embattled, facing new threats within our nation and new challenges around the globe. The witness of “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) stands distorted and corrupted—especially to a new generation.

The Declaration of Independence testifies that democracy is not only a political system but also a moral affirmation. In this time of pernicious polarization, we are forced to grapple anew with fundamental questions about governance, civic life, shared values, and the role of faith in shaping our collective future. The rise of anti-democratic sentiment and nationalist ideologies imperils our common life and threatens the cultivation of communal and global peace. As followers of Christ, we strive to meet this moment with clarity and courage, charity and conviction, drawing on the depths of our moral imaginations and theological traditions to articulate afresh a theology of democracy fit for our times.”

The entire statement along with the opportunity to sign on to it (I have done so) can be found at this link: https://faithanddemocracy.net/.

So, in conclusion, brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s just think about this for a moment.
In the midst of lies and deception, think about Truth.
In the midst of shame and disgrace, think about Honor.
In the midst of corruption and inequity, think about Justice.
In the midst of irreverence and depravity, think about Purity/Holiness.
In the midst of ugliness and repugnance, think about Beauty.
In the midst of evil and immorality, think about Virtue.
In the midst of inferiority and mediocrity, think about Excellence.
In the midst of castigation and condemnation, think about Praise.

Better yet, let’s also act upon these Christian values not merely for the moment, but for a lifetime in celebration and defense of both the gospel and democracy. What do you think about that?