Voting Like It Matters
It's not only our civic duty — it's a sacred one.
Charles Colson with Anne Morse | posted 10/10/2008 08:12AM
2 of 2
But Augustine also taught that if we are to enjoy the blessings of the City of Man, we must assume the obligations of citizenship. Instead of doing our civic duty out of compulsion, the Christian does it gladly, out of obedience to God and love of neighbor.
Augustine's teaching also helps us to put the coming election into perspective. Some will be jubilant over the outcome, others bitterly disappointed. But regardless of the returns, the City of God endures. When Augustine was informed that his beloved city of Rome was in flames, his response was that the City of Man is built by man and can be destroyed by man, but the City of God is built by God and cannot be destroyed.
On Election Day we should be the best of citizens, voting for the candidate best for all the people.
And then the next day, after indulging in your celebration—or pity party—get busy working to advance God's kingdom in this earthly society.
Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today.
Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:
See Christianity Today's special 2008 election section, which includes an article on how to pick a president, profiles of Barack Obama and John McCain, previous CT editorials and news stories.
Previous columns by Charles Colson are available on our website.
RSS Feeds
Audio
Twitter
share this page
E-mail
Print
Post
Subscribe to Christianity Today magazine today!
