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Bus Stop Theology

"Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts; half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. But the people who followed Omri overcame the people who followed Tibni son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri became king."

(1 Kings 16:21-22)

It's another presidential election year. Our country seems pretty divided right now in more ways than one. But especially politically. I'm grateful for the freedom that comes with being an American citizen via our election process. Despite the polarization, some folks seem a bit uncertain about the upcoming election.

I read something online last week that speaks to this very issue. The post said that they recognize some people are conflicted because neither of the two main party candidates are "the perfect candidate" - each are flawed. She said it may be that we're looking at this with the wrong perspective. We should think of it as a bus stop, she wrote. You know where you want to go (the general direction)... so you take the first bus headed in that general vicinity. If you wait for a bus that is going exactly to the location you want, you may wait for a long, long, time until one comes! Take the next bus going in your direction, then get off and transfer to a different bus route as the situation warrants.

While reading 1 Kings 16, I thought of that metaphor. Israel was in need of a new king. The nation was split between two "candidates": Omri & Tibni. Omri "won" (Tibni was most likely assassinated). Long live King Omri, right?!? Well, turns out he was a very poor choice by the people. A few verses later we're told, "Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; he did more evil than all who were before him" (v.25). Ouch. Evidently, the people's choice isn't always the best.

It's important for all Americans to vote... to be part of the democratic process. But remember: no one is a perfect candidate. We're all flawed humans. Make your choice (in whatever election comes) and move forward. What's most important is decided the direction you want this country to move. If the next president doesn't move towards that goal, get off the bus and transfer to another in the next election. That's how it works.

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