It seems that in every election year Christians agonize over the extent of their responsibilities as a citizen with a vote. The issues are often so divisive, sometimes incomprehensible, and other times we can see both sides and are stymied. Campaigns can be confusing, exasperating, excruciating.

Welcome to Election season! Wouldn’t it be great if God would just tell us who to vote for?

As we prepare for the coming season of awesome responsibility – choosing our representqtives who will be principally responsible for our national and local public policies – some of which involve the most important moral issues of our time – I’m going to write a series of blogs on how Christians vote. Today I’m writing on The responsibility of choosing the right leader:

Wouldn’t it be great if God would just tell us who to vote for?

We’re inclined to see the bible unhelpful, since in ancient times the people didn’t vote – they inherited their rulers by dynastic succession. But wait. The Israelites actually chose their king. In fact, God gave to them a profile of His ideal candidate, and He instructed them how to vote.

These very same principles will help guide us as we contemplate our own responsibility this election year.

The first thing the Scriptures do is establish –

The Responsibility of choosing the right leader: Read Deuteronomy 17:14-20

God tells them the things a candidate should not do, and should not be:

Vs 15 – He should not be a “foreigner,” a “stranger”: ie, unknown to them. They should be familiar with him, know who he is and what he stands for. What is his or her reputation?

Vs 16a – He should not “multiply horses”. In biblical times, as for most of history, horses were a symbol of power (an engine measured in “horsepower”.) The idea: He or she should not use the office to amass personal power. Jesus said, “He who would be greatest among you, let him be servant of all.” A public servant.

Vs 16b – “Nor cause the people to return to Egypt” – ie, must not lead them to compromise or become complicit with sin.

Vs 17a – nor multiply wives (should not be promiscuous, unfaithful, unable to keep covenants in his heart). He must not approve or encourage others to be unfaithful.

Vs 17b – multiply to himself silver and gold. (He should not be seeking personal gain, not trade his office for money payments).

Vs 20 – He or she should not be arrogant, and place himself above the law (God’s Law or man’s law).

As we come through Election season, we need to do our homework. We need to know what the candidate’s convictions and positions on all the life issues are – abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and whether their policies will be conducive to godliness (make us more like God) or cause us to violate God’s Laws.

This morning President Obama nominated US Solicitor General Elena Kagan to be the next US Supreme Court Justice. Roland Martin, a seminary graduate and commentator for CNN has written an insightful and very troubling column responding to the nomination.  I cannot personally corroborate the facts he references, but  I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, after all, he works for CNN (!)

Now, I know that there will be voices like those of Right-Wing Watch that will criticize my “sudden concern” for Civil Rights on the Court. They’ll say “Paul Schenck never spoke up about racial justice on the Court before..” and things like that. Oh yes I have. In fact, going all the back to my first pastorate, I deliberately brought African American and Immigrants to my church and school staff, including nominating my successor as Senior Pastor, the only African American to ever serve in that role. Before that, my wife Becky and I were evicted from our apartment because we stood up to our landlord’s prohibition on having “colored darken the door of the house.” We would have prevailed but we were to poor to afford a lawsuit.  Growing up my family was sympathetic to the Civil Rights movement and Rev. Dr. King was our hero. Since joining the pro-life movement, I’ve had the privilege of standing beside some Civil Rights champions like the Rev. Dr. Alveda King, Dr. Martin Luther King’s niece and others. Even Rev. Jesse Jackson joined us in Florida for the vigil for Terri Schindler-Schiavo.  To read Roland Martin’s disturbing piece go to CNN and click:  Martin: A diverse double-standard. Don’t miss it.