In today’s political moment, it’s a good to stop and think about what it means to follow Jesus.  Consider a few key biblical points:

• First things first:  as citizens of God’s kingdom, our ultimate allegiance is to King Jesus (Rev. 19:16).  He’s our “Commander-in-Chief.”  “Our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28).   We’re sojourners, not settlers, in this world, and we’re traveling to “a better country, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:16).
• And yet, during this earthly journey it’s right to obey the law of the land (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).   We demonstrate trust in God when we affirm his delegation of authority to the state.  But still, such compliance is always conditional:  if pressed by human powers to dishonor or disobey the Lord, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) and accept the consequences as “strangers and exiles on earth” (Heb. 11:13, 35-38).
• Christians should expect to face opposition (1 Peter 4:12).  Our daily trek involves carrying a cross (Luke 9:23); in this world “you will have tribulation” (John 16:33); the world hates Jesus’ people because they (we) “are not of this world” (John 15:19; 17:14).  Not that we should despair or give up on showing Jesus’ love to neighbors (1 Peter 2:12; 1 Thess. 4:12; James 1:27):  some will be receptive to our witness!  In fact…
• Jesus says we’re “the light of the world” and “the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13-16) to permeate our surroundings for good.  But we can’t be salt and light while retreating from society or cloistering away in Christian ghettoes.  Loving our neigh­bors (Matt. 22:37-40; Luke 10:37) means seeking what’s good for them both now and in the life to come—i.e., both spiritual and material blessings (Luke 3:11; 1 John 3:17; Matt 11:28-30; John 10:10).  So let’s join in prayer for God’s guidance, even as we prepare to vote, to love our neighbors and seek their good.