Most Christians are familiar with Galatians 5:22-23, which states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
However, the context of the preceding verses is often ignored, and especially during political campaign seasons, we see those who claim to profess Christ instead celebrate that which is condemned in verses 19-21: "Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom."
As the 2020 election cycle draws to a close, I ask you to honestly examine the histories, campaigns, and promises from Biden and Trump. What fruit do they really exhibit? I contend that both are rotten to the core. Trying to find some good bits to celebrate for either is wasted effort, and denying the contamination is deliberate blindness to reality. I believe it has always been so, but this year it is more obvious than ever.
Trying to choose the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. We are called to be salt and light, not to participate in the false choices of this world. The governments created by men are vanity, and the men who act as those governments necessarily violate the laws of God and even the laws they would impose on others. Veneration for the State and its symbols is idolatry. What was Samuel's warning when Israel wanted a king instead of the judges it had known? What was Christ's response when He was tempted in the desert with all the kingdoms of the world?
"Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" (Matthew 25:34-40)
We are in this world, but we are not of it. The State tells us to crush and condemn the least of these, when it does not claim the right to rob us because it sends some crumbs from its plunder to the poor as though it were Christian charity. It is a counterfeit through and through.
Judge the tree by its fruit. Do not be deceived. By all means, comply with the State when doing so does not violate our higher law, but never confuse government with society, and never allow its edicts to supersede God's. Ask yourself, with prayer and meditation, whether participating in its political rituals is indeed blasphemous. I believe that it is.
