It’s Here

In 2012, writing at RedState, I posted a piece trying to make sure everyone got focused in the right way before an anticipated Romney loss. I didn’t say it was anticipation of a Romney loss, but it definitely was.

Here, in 2024, I actually have no idea who is going to win today. As I noted yesterday (and kudos to those who got the Les Mis reference), I do think Donald Trump had the wind at his back until Tony Hinchcliffe’s showed up at Madison Square Garden and that threw his campaign off message at the end. But then Joe Biden opened his mouth too. But then Trump opened his mouth again. But then the jobs numbers came out.

I have no clue. Based on the final polling, I think Kamala Harris picked back up a bit of steam and that could help her. So much of the late data suggests undecided and independent voters did move in her direction at the end as Trump, convinced he had won it just like after the Biden debate, strayed off message.

But based on the trend lines of early voting and the behaviors of the campaigns, I think Trump still has the edge. Again, as I noted yesterday, he has many more paths to 270 votes than she does unless Ann Selzer captured significant movement in Iowa that no one else has fully captured. Whoever wins, the other side will find some excuse — cheating, the Russians, or something.

But here is the God’s honest truth — what we are about to go through, regardless of the winner, will be four years. Depending on your preference, you’ll get a lot you either like or dislike. For people like me who don’t much care for either side, it’ll be a lot of eye-rolling as people on either side try to justify and explain how they support things they previously opposed. But it will be four years.

Congress is going to be divided, more likely than not. A Harris presidency will get very little done through Congress, and a Trump presidency will also get very little done through Congress. Reconciliation will be the big thing. Thanks to the Democrats, we now have precedent for two reconciliation packages in a year instead of one.

If Donald Trump gets elected, he is immediately a lame duck, and Republicans will, behind the scenes, start jockeying to take on J.D. Vance. If Kamala Harris is elected, the GOP will start working on midterm candidates to wipe out any edge she might have in Congress as Democrats start working to undermine Tim Walz.

If Donald Trump loses, he has every incentive to concede graciously because he has a potential prison sentence hanging over his head in New York, Jack Smith is still out there, and Kamala Harris would be going to the White House. He’d be wise, should he lose, to concede graciously and re-establish prior norms on presidential candidate defeat.

But, and this is a big but — we will do this all over again in four years without Donald Trump as a candidate one way or the other.

In the meantime, the policy changes in Washington will affect you less than those at your local school board level and local city government and county commission. And all those policies will affect you less than how you and your neighbors impact each other daily.

A lot of good evangelical pastors these past few weeks have sounded in pulpits and on social media like they only believe Sola Fide, by faith alone, if you vote the right way. I’ve seen too many pastors insist this is a binary choice for President. That’s temporal, partisan thinking that I think pastors should get away from. God has his own ways and most of us are God’s people. His will is going to be done. His ways are not our ways, and our ways, as the body of Christ, should not look just like everyone else’s ways. Christians have always stood out by being counter-cultural, and being so invested in a political race makes us look no different from the world. Our joy comes from an empty tomb, not a political victory.

If you wake up tomorrow and Kamala Harris is the President of the United States, or Donald Trump is President, God’s will is being done. We know all things work together for the good of those called according to His purpose. We know our job is to love God and love our neighbor.

If the outcome of this election drives you to an overabundance of happiness or anger, rage, despair, depression, or — God forbid — even violence, you have not worshipped at the feet of the risen Lord, and you need to recalibrate your life. This is not your home. Your home is an eternal kingdom. You’re just passing through here, and your job is to love God and love your neighbor, not fret so much about princes, presidents, and principalities.

My concern these past few weeks, with so many pastors spending time in their pulpits stacking the deck for their congregants to be constituents of one party or the other, is that it sends, intentionally or not, a message to the faithful that the election matters for eternity. The careful pastors have threaded the needle to ensure you understand that you can vote as an American, but a Christian need not exercise stewardship by choosing to vote for one of two bad candidates. As I have said repeatedly, and at some point people may finally realize what I mean — a Church that says no is a Church that will fundamentally change culture for the better. Fallow fields bring stronger, better crops, later.

You can vote. I hope you do vote today. It is one of our blessings of liberty. But if you cannot bring yourself to vote for either candidate, that is fine too. Show up. Vote for candidates you can support. And leave blank the lines you just can’t bring yourself to pull the trigger on.

And when you leave, remember this — no matter who you voted for, God is sovereign. He is not getting off the throne based on your vote. And, on that final day, when we stand before the throne, you will not be asked who you voted for. God does not care, despite so many people insisting he does. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Seek the welfare of the community in which you live and pray for it. Everything else will take care of itself. That’s what God cares about.

Don’t let this election put distance between you and your mission — advancing the eternal. If you cannot love your neighbor because of their vote, you need to pray. And if your neighbor cannot love you because of your vote, you need to pray. God will sort it out.

Tomorrow will take care of itself. Right now, in the present, you’re as close to God as you can be short of being in Heaven. And that matters way more than who might become President tonight.

Now, go vote if you haven’t.