Politicians Are NOT Going To Save Us

Ugh. Politics. My least favorite topic in the whole world. So much passion on either side. So much… fighting.

I don’t know about you but anytime politics of any sort get brought up I dread the oncoming conversation. In fact, I’m dreading posting this at all because I know someone is not going to like what I have to say. And the thing is, it doesn’t even seem to matter whether I agree with them or not. There’s always arguing, disagreement, name-calling, hurt feelings… No. I’d like to stay as far away from that as possible.

However, this year it seems to be worse than usual. With the presidential election last year I’ve witnessed more political tension and strife than I ever have before. Every way you look someone is angry about something. And someone else is angry with them for being angry about whatever the first person was angry with!

Anger. Fear. Tension. Strife. Quarreling. Name-calling on Facebook. It’s all too much for me sometimes. So often I’ve wondered why we can’t just calm down and talk things out civilly, like adults. Because I’ve worked in a daycare. I know a temper tantrum when I see one. And these days it seems like there are an awful lot of toddlers trapped in adult bodies.

Now I don’t want to say all of this to make people mad. Heaven knows that is the last thing I want.

But a few weeks ago I came to a realization. I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across some political piece criticizing something or other. It was one of those people who is constantly posting political things. (It doesn’t really matter who but we all know that person) Normally I just scroll on. I tend to avoid controversial fighting on Facebook (and real life too if I’m being honest).

But for some reason I paused and read this particular little ad. It was something about the president being a nazi or some such. Now I don’t know if that’s true or not (and that’s not really the point) but it made me stop and think.

This person, for whatever reason, truly believed our president was acting like a nazi. It was in that moment that I realized I had a hope that this person did not have. The hope of Jesus.

For a moment I saw the world as they saw it. They believed the people in power did not have the people’s best interests at heart. They thought they were nazis, tyrants, the big dogs on top. Whatever you want to call them. And they were scared.

And I realized I would be scared too if I had to put my entire faith into a human being. Let alone a human being that I didn’t think was a good person.

And suddenly my heart broke.

All of these people, left to put their hope in no one but a human being. A faulty, broken human being. To be honest, I don’t know how they do it. I don’t know how someone could live without the hope that Jesus offers.

But I do know one thing.

“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding…” Daniel 2:21

I don’t pretend to know why God does the things he does. I don’t always like the people he puts in power. I don’t always want to follow where he leads. But I do know this; Politicians are NOT going to save us. Human beings are NOT going to save us. The nicest, most honest person on the planet is still NOT going to save us.

Because people will always let us down. Even the people who care about us most will let us down. Because none of us are perfect and we’re all more than a little broken.

But I’m not afraid. This world can be a scary, dark, cruel place, but the light of Jesus will be my guide. Because in the end, he is the only one who can truly save us.