The Election
“And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen….” Acts 1:24 KJV
As I sit here, very early in the morning, in a hotel room in Atlanta, Georgia, I wonder what this day is going to bring to my hometown in King George, Virginia. I am here in Atlanta for a business trip and I won’t be home in time to vote in this election. Oh, you need not worry, I voted early because I believe this is going to be a close race, especially the race I’m most concerned about on this day.
Virginia is one of those weird states that has “off year” elections for most of its state and county offices. It used to be one of those bellwether states that was good at forecasting an upcoming Presidential election because its population and views used to be in proportion to the views of our nation as a whole. Lately, though, it has tilted more to one party rather than being equally divided. That lust to gaze into our crystal ball, to see the future, has fallen victim to the partisan division that has claimed most of our country.
The election, in our county, that has stirred most of my interest is for our county sheriff. One of my friends is seeking that office. He has put a lot of his time, effort, and money into this campaign. He is more than qualified for the position, even though he is not a member of the current county police department. There have been several positions he has served in our state’s police department. The current, long serving, much loved sheriff is retiring. My friend’s opponent is a deputy in the current police department.
It’s not the politics or the friendship that has most intrigued me about this election, though. This is the first election I have seen up close. Usually I’m looking over the issues and deciding which candidate to vote for. Like most, I look for the candidates that most align with the direction I think our county, state, or country should take. Although I am still doing that in this election, I also have the opportunity to see how much effort candidates, both those whose views I admire and those who I don’t agree with, puts their heart and soul into getting the job they are seeking.
The car pulled up to Public School 59, which sat on Fifty-Seventh Street between Second and Third Avenues. On most days it was a public school, but today it was a polling place. Police had shut down this section of road so that this candidate, and part of his family, could vote safely.
The candidate and his wife stepped out first. His daughter, her husband, and their little girl, Arabella, came out next. There was a mixture of boos and cheers from the people who had gathered in hopes of catching a glimpse of the man who might quite possibly become the next President. A short time later, his eldest son, his son’s wife, and their four kids arrived at the same polling place to cast their votes.
The candidate’s other son and his wife were celebrating their second anniversary, but they showed up to vote at another polling place a few blocks away. This son was so happy to be able to vote for his Dad that he snapped a picture of his ballot and posted it. When many of his friends reminded him that this was illegal, he took the post down.
With all the campaigning done, and with the family finished voting, all that was left to do was to wait for the results to come in. He was a long shot. No one, or no one with any sense, was giving him even the slightest chance of claiming the prize.
Across town his opponent’s supporters were gathering to get ready for their victory celebration. It had been a very bitter campaign and they were looking forward to putting this nemesis in the rear view mirror for good. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be long after the election that he just faded from sight. The nation just needed to get this bitter election behind us.
The Bible doesn’t really say much about elections. A democracy, like we live in, was an idea that was still a long way off into the future. For the most part, leaders were chosen by strength. One strength option that was often used was physical strength, like Saul.
Strength came with many different characteristics. One of the strengths during Bible times was having a large family. The head of a large family, like Abraham, could intimidate others who stood in his path. Being charismatic, like David, was another strength that led to a very loyal following. Then others, like Moses, found divine strength with the help of God himself. If you questioned this strength, you usually didn’t live much longer.
Once established, family lineage could also be a strength that led to leadership. Solomon and many generations of David’s heirs are examples of this. Being at the right place at the right time, or in Joseph’s case, the wrong place at the right time, offered another opportunity for strong leadership.
Strong military strength is often mentioned in the Bible. Usually when the Jews were disobedient, God would send strong, conquering nations to remove Jewish leadership and replace it with the conquering nation’s own stern hands. There was no choice, or even a freedom voice when these nations took charge.
As I start this blog, the polls haven’t even opened in Virginia. I don’t know the results yet, but by the time I finish this blog I probably will. I will share the results at the end. Meanwhile, you can step into my world of anticipation.
Being many miles away, I wonder what my friend’s election day will be like. Knowing my friend, I’m sure there is a lot of praying going on about the election. I’m sure my friend’s opponent is also seeking the Heavenly Father’s divine appointment. When the clock struck midnight, both candidates were probably very busy putting out signs as close as they legally could to polling places.
Much of the candidate’s day is just sitting around waiting for the results. Their work, for their election, is all done now. Now it is the voters’ turn to decide who did a better job of convincing them who would be the better sheriff, or whatever position they are running for. It is probably one of the longest days in the candidates’ lives.
Once the polls close, there is more waiting involved. Candidates eagerly await and hope the results are called early and in their favor. If it is close, or if there are election voting issues, their long day could even get longer. “Congratulations” is the only word they want to hear.
Optimism has prepared a rousing victory speech each can’t wait to deliver. In the back of their minds, although they don’t want to admit it yet, the words are compiling of what they will say if the bad news of their defeat is at hand.
Then it comes, the hardest part of the campaign: the call, knock, or finding out the results online, that delivers the news of their fate. That moment, that very second, is one of those crossroads that changes everything. In this election, one will be called sheriff and one will not be called sheriff. One way or another, both of their lives will change.
With the Presidential election coming to a close, the candidate and his entire family headed back to his home to wait for the results. When the first set of early returns came in, it wasn’t good. It looked like the pollsters had called this one correctly. His kids started calling local stations, in battleground states, in a last-ditch effort to rally some support.
One of his sons called a high ranking media executive, in a must win state, asking how it was looking. He said, “Honestly, it’s not looking good.” Hope was fading fast. One of the aides, Stephen Miller, drafted a concession speech. When someone asked him about a draft for a victory speech, all he could tell them was he had a few “bullet points.”
Despite the cloud hanging over his chances of winning, the candidate chose to remain upbeat about a victory. Since he wasn’t downstairs with his advisors, he didn’t know they were even talking about a concession speech. He called down to check on his victory speech. They told him, “We’re just polishing it!” The funny thing was, technically, there was not a fully formed speech to polish.
Around 11:00 pm the results started to take a strange twist. The state his son was told didn’t look good, turned his way. Then like magic, all the other battleground states started falling in his column, too. At 2:30 am, the Associated Press started a wave of media outlets that had to acknowledge that he was going to become the next Florida Man.
Fifteen minutes before the Associated Press announced that Florida Man was going to be the next President, his rival, Hillary Clinton, called and conceded that she had lost. She congratulated him on his victory. A shocked nation would wake up the next morning totally surprised that Florida Man, not Hillary Clinton, was going to be the next President.
The Bible does mention at least one election, though. There are about 120 members in this crowd. They are given the task of deciding who would get this one open position. They came up with the choice of two men: Joseph, also called Barsabas, who was also nicknamed Justus, and Matthias.
When we think of an election, we think of everyone getting a vote and the one who wins the most votes gets the position. That is not how they did it. The first thing they did was they prayed. Sounds like very good advice each of us should use before we vote.
There were no speeches. Voices debating who would be the better choice were never heard. Pulling in favors would serve no purpose. Everyone was all in that once they prayed, God, in His infinite wisdom, would be much better at picking the victor.
So, they drew straws. The Bible doesn’t say whether the short or long straw won, only that they drew straws. Matthias was declared the winner.
After Jesus ascended to heaven, shortly after He arose from His death on the cross, it was decided that someone was needed to fill Judas’ disciple position. It was determined that this person must be chosen from the original “among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:21b-22, NIV).
This is how the “election” went to replace Judas as a disciple. The remaining disciples, and a crowd of about 120, were completely confident that God would reveal the right choice with this chosen method. It seems there were no disagreements about the method or the choice. There was no recount either. As far as everyone was concerned, God had spoken.
The strange thing is, nothing is ever mentioned in the Bible about Matthias again. Legends abound about his ministry and even his death. There are even fragments of a surviving “lost Gospels of Matthias.” Many differing stories tell of how he died, or even where he is buried. All we really know, for sure, is that Matthias is the person chosen to replace Judas as a disciple.
Well, the election results are in for my friend’s run at the sheriff’s position. Sadly, for me, he lost. I know how much he wanted to be sheriff. He cares so much for our county. His upbeat spirit would have been a great blessing to so many. But the people of the county have spoken and his was not the straw they chose.
I saw my friend the night after the election. Before I walked in the door to see him, I didn’t know what to expect. On Sunday, at church, he told me it was up to God. Many say those “proper words” believing they are the right ones to say in church. Usually it is only after they don’t get the outcome they wanted that you can tell if they really believe them.
Happily, I was greeted by the same upbeat friend I saw on Sunday. Instead of dejection, my friend looked, with excitement, as to what it was that God was taking him to next. If this was not God’s plan, boy, He really must have something better for him.
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, Please be with my friend, and all those who lost elections this week. Help them all look, with new excitement, at what you have planned for them next. Thank you so much that I got to witness my friend’s inspiring spirit. Amen.
