Changing the channel on contempt
I have reached my limit. Maybe you have too.
It used to be that I could escape political ads by switching to a streaming service. Not anymore. This fall, nearly every commercial break, on every platform, is someone telling me how dangerous, dishonest, or dishonorable someone else is. Ominous music. Grainy photos. Unflattering slow motion. A narrator who sounds like he’s announcing the end of the world.
What strikes me most is how rarely any of these ads tell me what the candidate actually hopes to do. I learn a great deal about who I’m supposed to fear and almost nothing about what anyone intends to build. I am tired of it. I suspect many of you are too.
As Lutheran Christians, we have language for why this wears on us so. In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther explains the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” by saying that we are not to tell lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or ruin their reputations. Then he goes further: we are to defend them, speak well of them, and interpret what they do in the kindest possible way.
That is a high bar, and none of us clears it perfectly. But it does give us a way to name what’s happening on our screens. A great deal of what we’re being shown is designed to make us assume the worst about people, both the candidates and the neighbors who might vote for them. We don’t have to accept that invitation.
And yet, being tired is not the same as being excused. In a few weeks, on Nov. 3, we will have the opportunity to help shape the common life of our community, our state, and our nation. I believe that casting a vote is holy work. Not because any candidate or party is God’s chosen instrument, but because God calls us to love our neighbors, and in a democracy, one of the ways we do that is by taking part, carefully and conscientiously, in choosing those who will govern on their behalf.
Holy work deserves serious preparation. Here is my encouragement to you, whatever your convictions:
- Look past the ads. Seek out what candidates say about their own plans and values, in their own words: their websites, debates, interviews, and voting records.
- Read from more than one source. If everything you read confirms what you already believed, widen the circle a little.
- Pray before you vote. Not for a particular outcome, but for wisdom, and for the neighbors whose lives will be affected by your choice.
We are a people held in the grace of God and called to vote responsibly for the good of our neighbors, especially those who are vulnerable. Being free in Christ, we serve even in the unglamorous and patient work of being an informed voter.
Here at St. Paul, we come with many perspectives, and that is a gift. When the election is over, we will still gather at the same font and the same table. My hope is that we arrive there having voted thoughtfully, and still able to look one another in the eye with love.
Susie Haring
Marvelous advice. I hope everyone takes your words to heart. Thanks, Susie
Susie Haring
Marvelous advice. I hope everyone takes your words to heart. Thanks, Susie
Quentin Fleming
Thank you for your well-grounded and helpful essay. I’d like to hear sermons on that topic.
Edward Bauersfeld
Well said and I could not agree with ALL that you said more.
Phyllis Hofer
Perfect! I had “reached my limit” days ago! So well said, Mark!
Marcia Willi
Holy work!! I’ve never thought of voting in that manner before ; thanks for these words of wisdom, Pastor Mark
George Roland
My feelings exactly about all the political ads. Plus here in the quad cities we get all the Iowa AND Illinois ads. I try to find out how a candidate has behaved in their past on topics and figure they will continue that behavior.
Suzy Schindler
I’ve worn out tv remotes over the past few elections because I’ve pressed the “mute” button too much! When we were young, my dad used to say each opposing candidate running for whatever office should be given the same amount of money to keep campaigns on equal footing. Didn’t happen then, not happening now, won’t happen ahead…
Anke Maass
Great advice! Soooo true on the ADS. Tell us what you can do….
Thx for sharing this
Mike Neldon
Politics is such a dirty business. Let us get back to solving problems again. We have many. Get together and get to work on important things.
Georgia Dugan
Amen to that! I wish candidates were restricted to only talking about themselves, their accomplishments, and their plans if elected.
Connie King
Wow! I hope everyone who sees this takes your advice!
Tom Dryg
Thanks Mark. Needed to hear that today!
Lori Cooper
Well said. Thank you Pastor Mark.