On this Independence Day, when the world is crumbling, I am reminded that the state doesn't save me
Christians should participate in preserving democracy, even in its peril and frailty, but our ultimate hope does not come from even a functional United States.
Two years ago, I wrote an argument for why Christians should care about democracy in peril, even if their savior is Jesus. I argued we should care about having a functional democracy in the face of its demise, and that doesn’t compromise our allegiance to Jesus, in any way.
I still think that Christians should be advocates for democracy, that we should do what we can to preserve freedom and liberty, primarily because our faith and our savior call us to protect the most vulnerable. Preserving a system of government that is most likely to care and protect those in greatest need is entirely in line with our faith.
With that in mind, it is my full intention to vote for Joe Biden for president, given the choices. Joe Biden is certainly the less bad choice—but that phrase doesn’t adequately express the grave danger that Donald Trump poses, nor the actual policy successes of Joe Biden.
Joe Biden, as president, is our best hope against the demise of democracy, so it was disturbing to watch his catastrophically bad debate performance last Thursday night. It was a performance that caused many of us to consider his intellectual decline and readiness for the job. Biden has given stronger public speeches since the debate, so it is inappropriate to jump to conclusions about his mental fitness. But all of this was made worse when columnists and editorial boards (notably the New York Times) called for him to step down in favor of some younger Democratic candidate. (I appreciated my hometown paper’s response to the Times, calling instead for Trump to step down). Biden isn’t my favorite candidate. He would not be my personal choice to save it. But he is who we have now. Biden and his campaign should weigh if he is our best choice for defeating Trump, and if not, he should step down, and the party should nominate someone else.
I’m increasingly horrified at the situation in Gaza, which is, for me, the most important issue. I wish Biden would do more, but I know Trump would be far worse. Sometimes things are, unfortunately, just that simple. As a Christian, I believe I should do my part in preserving democracy, so my choice is clear.
In fact, this past week, my concerns about the state of American democracy grew even deeper when five lawyers sitting on the most powerful bench in the country ruled that Presidents have immunity from the law when conducting “official” acts, in contrast with “unofficial” ones. The difference between the two? They ruled that they, the Supreme Court, have the right to decide.
The Court acted to offer immunity to Donald Trump for instigating the January 6th insurrection against the U.S. government. In doing so, SCOTUS fundamentally altered the office of the President. Their ruling doesn’t just protect Trump, it weakens and possibly destroys American democracy. Justice Sotomayor wrote in her searing dissent, “The relationship between the president and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law.”
It is a contemptible and devastating decision. It is depressing and demoralizing.
The damage is done, and it was given to us by Republican appointees to the court across three different Republican administrations. The threat to democracy remains enshrined no matter who holds public office now, unless it can be appealed and overturned which, if possible, would be a decades-long process, spanning the course of many future presidential administrations.
My choice in November remains clear, even though a Biden win would not comfort how disturbed I am by the state of the world. I am afraid it won’t affect the war in Gaza and by definition, it won’t reverse this disastrous ruling about Presidential immunity.
Christians should act to preserve democracy and we should care if it is in peril. We should vote, but our actions must exceed voting. We need to go into the streets and express ourselves on a regular basis. The mandate of the Gospel to care for the most vulnerable remains, no matter what the Supreme Court decides.
I can’t deny feeling discouraged. National polls and swing state polls continue to favor Trump, and it seems like half the country is welcoming its decline into authoritarianism. But this country is not our Savior. Despite what we will hear this week, even a free democracy like the U.S. would not liberate us. The freedom that we celebrate and cry for on Independence Day only comes from Jesus.
In the face of my despair, I turn to my true Savior. My political convictions are rooted in my belief that my Savior will return and resume his reign as the rightful king. This eschatological conviction offers me hope in the face of despair, in the face of the worst dictators and their oppression.
My faith in Jesus’ liberation gives me hope to stand against adversity now. It gives me promise that another world is possible and that another world is coming. Allying with people of conscience preserves that hope. Worshiping with like-minded people strengthens it. My hope, truly, is built on nothing less than my savior.
My cry to my savior is to save me again. I don’t want to just feel peace on the inside, I want the world to change. I know it is not within my power to do it alone. I know it is not within my church’s power, I know it is not even in the power of the governments around me. But I do believe everything is possible with God’s power. Christians have withstood far worse adversity than we face in the U.S. at the moment, and God has been faithful. I am praying for God to show up. In the face of genocide in Gaza and crumbling democracy in the U.S., I want Jesus to save us again.