It’s Time!
Dan Kunz
On December 23, 1776, American patriot, Thomas Paine, wrote these words in a pamphlet called “The Crisis”, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country…” In another pamphlet, “Common Sense”, also written in 1776, Paine wrote, “It hath been reported of the late Mr. Pelham (who tho’ an able minister was not without his faults) that on his being attacked in the House of Commons on the score that his measures were only of a temporary kind, replied, ‘they will last my time.’ Should a thought so fatal and unmanly possess the Colonies in the present contest, the name of ancestors will be remembered by future generations with detestation.” Over the course of history, Thomas Paine has been described by many as having as much an impact on the American Revolution as any soldier, general, or politician. Because of his fiery writing, he encouraged people to “get off the sidelines” and become involved in the war for independence. It worked!
On November 5, our country will hold an election which may not be as significant as the American Revolution, but many people will agree is monumental. Two very different visions for American are on the ballot – one conservative and one liberal or progressive. As a matter of fact, as I write this blog, early voting has started in many, if not most, states. My wife and I have already taken advantage of that opportunity. The goal of this blog is simply to encourage Christians to vote. Several reasons to become engaged come to mind.
First and foremost, God established government for the good of all people. Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been established by God.” God even allows “bad” governments to exist and uses them to achieve his ultimate plan! Secondly, we live in a constitutional republic. This means the government derives its power from the people. As United States citizens, we have the right to vote, but I would take it a step further and say we have the responsibility to vote. We don’t want to be “summer soldiers, sunshine patriots, or Mr. Pelham” from the pamphlets of Thomas Paine mentioned above. We can’t sit back and do nothing, simply because our lives are comfortable or because we think our one vote won’t make a difference. Finally, future generations are depending on our decisions now. With our vote we are shaping the direction which our country will take for years to come. We simply can’t ignore that responsibility.
Using almost any metric available, we live in the greatest country in the world. Luke 12:48b “From everyone to whom much was given, much will be expected. From the one who was entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” We, as Christians, appreciate the many freedoms we have in America, not the least of which is freedom of religion. For those freedoms to continue, we need to be as focused and steadfast, and maybe as fiery, as Thomas Paine. If you haven’t already done so, please vote. Our future depends on it!