Brian Zhand, pastor of Word of Life Church, St. Joseph, Missouri is a frequent speaker at the Apprentice Gathering at Friends University. Brian is an author of many books, the most recent, “The Wood Between the Worlds.” I highly recommend this book.

Brian, recently said, in a talk he gave at the Apprentic Gathering last month, “Mix your politics with intense ambivalence.” Last week, I saw something Brian wrote that spoke to me and trust it will to you, especially in light of the Presidential and other elections soon to be upon us.

“The Christian Voter’s Guide,” by Brian Zhand

  1. The political process, while necessary, has little to do with how God is saving the world.
  2. The fate of the Kingdom of God does not depend on political contests.
  3. Don’t be naïve; political parties are more interested in Christian votes than they are in Christian values.
  4. The bottom line for political parties is power. The bottom line for a Christian is love. And therein lies the rub.
  5. While in pursuit of the Ring of Power, you are not permitted to abandon the Sermon on the Mount.
  6. If your political passion makes it hard for you to love your neighbor as yourself, you need to turn it down a notch.
  7. Your task is to bring the salt of Christian civility to an ugly and acrimonious political process.
  8. To dismember the body of Christ over politics is a grievous sin.
  9. Exercise your liberty to vote your conscience and conviction while accepting that other Christians will do the same and vote differently than you.
  10. It is more important that your soul be filled with love than it is for your political team to win the game.

One of my favorite authors, Sr. Joan Chittister, wrote a prayer for use during this election season. This famous Benedictine sister is a deep thinker about the things of God. Here is a prayer I have been saying and offer it to you….

A Prayer for Leadership by Joan Chittister

Give us, O God, leaders whose hearts are large enough to match the breadth of our own souls  and give us souls strong enough to follow leaders of vision and wisdom. In seeking a leader, let us seek more than development for ourselves— though development we hope for— more than security for our own land— though security we need— more than satisfaction for our wants— though many things we desire.

Give us the hearts to choose the leader who will work with other leaders to bring safety to the whole world. Give us leaders who lead this nation to virtue without seeking to impose our kind of virtue on the virtue of others.

Give us a government that provides for the advancement of this country without taking resources from others to achieve it. Give us insight enough ourselves to choose as leaders those who can tell strength from power, growth from greed, leadership from dominance, and real greatness from the trappings of grandiosity.

We trust you, Great God, to open our hearts to learn from those to whom you speak in different tongues and to respect the life and words of those to whom you entrusted the good of other parts of this globe.

We beg you, Great God, give us the vision as a people to know where global leadership truly lies, to pursue it diligently, to require it to protect human rights for everyone everywhere. We ask these things, Great God, with minds open to your word and hearts that trust in your eternal care. Amen.

Source: Benetvision 355 East Ninth Street Erie, PA 16503-1107 © Joan Chittister www.joanchittister.org