Sermon

October 29, 2006

          Do you remember the first time you voted? It was a big occasion for me because I had to wait five years to become a citizen before I could vote. I remember diligently studying the issues and reading the newspapers and listening to the candidates on the television. Presidential elections in particular were very exciting.

            My interest in government was stimulated at a young age because my favorite uncle, of which I was so proud, was a local politician all of his life so. He was able to stay in office because he kept switching parties—Labor one year, Conservative the next, and occasionally Independent. When the general public was disgusted with his affiliated party because of scandal or corruption, he switched. I think of this whenever I’m conflicted about voting for a party or voting for a person who has my values. Uncle Doug always had the peoples’ welfare at heart and they knew it and so kept voting him into office as long as he was on the ticket of the party with which they were not disgusted.

In England, political issues were discussed all the time by people of all walks of life in the local pub. In my fairly short stint as a bar-tender, I have personally witnessed how working people struggled with whether they should vote on party lines or for the candidate who seemed to be the best. And in the UK, like here, people get very discouraged when government doesn’t have the welfare of the people at heart.

You probably know that the United Kingdom, like much of Europe, is a secular country, which means that most of the people have no church affiliation and most don’t believe in God. The interesting thing is that in these secular countries, the governments focus far more on ensuring that their people are well cared for than in our own country where 95% of the people say they believe in God and most of those identify as Christian. Interestingly, political leaders who fall mightily from grace are often the most committed and conservative church goers.

It is a curious thing that in a country where the radical message of Jesus is to love your neighbor by sharing the wealth and turning the other cheek, the policies enacted by our government favor the rich hands down and the readiness to go to war is mind-boggling. Could it be that many European countries have internalized the radical teachings of the spiritual master and thus act out in the creation of government policies the value of ‘love your neighbor’? It raises for us the question, “Should we engage our religious beliefs when we vote?” Have we internalized our values enough to confidently vote from the heart?

While searching on the Internet for articles on voting, I stumbled across some blogs, which are opinion websites. The ones that impressed me the most were blogs of young people; their photos were there and I could tell from their vocabulary and style that they were intelligent youth of, say, 20 or so. It was refreshing to read their thoughts. Many asked “What would Jesus do?” They then went on to inquire whether Jesus would have advised them to run for political office. Most of them thought that the commandment to love one another means that we should care for the people and provide health care for all. They wondered whether Jesus would encourage us to care for our environment and focus on alternative fuels. They wondered whether ‘turn the other cheek’ meant we shouldn’t go to war but find peaceful ways to resolve conflict. Their discussions give me hope. These young people clarify their values first, based on what they accept to be wise and compassionate teachings, and then they consider the issues.

            Although in our responsive reading Abraham Lincoln talked about freedom in regards to voting, he also talked about “a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people.” He carried with him a small book of quotes from the Bible. Most of the quotes are of the more compassionate kind.

I like it very much that our first two principles are similar to Jesus’ teaching in all four Gospels of ‘love one another’ and the Buddha’s teaching that counsels ‘cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings.’ [from the Sutta Nipata 149-150] Our first two UU principles are: affirming and promoting “the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings and justice, equity and compassion in human relations.” These values cannot be so clearly applied to the issues we’ll be addressing on November 7^th, namely, allowing collective bargaining for home childcare workers, allowing a candidate to stand for more than one party at a time, and allowing grocery stores to sell beer and wine. But we can vote our values regarding selecting a candidate for governor.

I always look for progressive-thinking candidates, which to me means that the candidate has the welfare of the all people at heart and is thoughtful, authentic, and able to admit that he or she needs to study an issue more thoroughly.  In a more religious sense, I look for someone whose values are based on the radical idea of love for our neighbor; it’s as simple as that. If a candidate’s thinking is vengeful, that’s not my man, or woman.  And I remind us that what I say from the pulpit is my own opinion and you are free to form your own opinion.

Perhaps it is time for a little humor. This joke is called, “Vote for Hell”:

 Vote for Hell

While walking down the street one day a female senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. Her soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. "Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the senator. "Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I just want to be in Heaven," says the senator.

"I'm sorry but we have our rules." And with that, St. Peter escorts her to the elevator and she goes down, down, down to Hell. The doors open and she finds herself in the middle of a gloriously green golf course. In the distance is a club and standing in front of it are all her friends and other politicians who had worked with her; everyone is very happy and in evening dress.

They run to greet her, hug her, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then they dine on lobster. Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy who enjoys the dancing and telling jokes.

They are having such a good time that, before she realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives her a big hug and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for her.

"Now it's time to visit Heaven." So 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before she realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now choose your eternity." She reflects for a minute, then the senator answers: "Well, I would never have said it, I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think Hell is more fun."

So Saint Peter escorts her to the elevator and she goes down, down, down to Hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and she is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. She sees all her friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags. The Devil comes over to her and lays his arm on her neck. "I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and club and we ate lobster and danced and had a great time. Now there is a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.

The Devil looks at her, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted for us!"

Be careful what you vote for! Eh?

It might seem to you that I think Europeans are a more advanced electorate. In some ways, this is true, but even thoughtful commentators in this country point to the Europeans as a good model, especially the Scandinavians, for enlightened political social welfare policies and peaceful negotiation as a policy in international relations. One American political commentator, Brian McLaren, said, “’Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ had a nice ring in the Declaration of Independence, but frankly, it has a bit of an individualistic and self-centered ring today. Consider, for example, what it would mean if our nation were more dedicated to the pursuit of peace and justice than to the pursuit of personal happiness, or to a sustainable life for all creatures instead of simply unlimited prosperity for ourselves.”

Enlightened candidates and enlightened policies will always have as their foundational underpinnings what boils down to love and compassion for our neighbor and we extend that nowadays to the earth as well.

After the service today, members can practice voting for the benefit of our church and visitors are invited to witness our democratic process. Our sixth principle is to affirm and promote “the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large” and this is why we would bother to raise up voting as a spiritual activity. Today, and on November 7^th, we can promote three of our seven principles.

Voting is definitely a spiritual activity because it requires that in order to vote righteously, we must vote for what benefits the whole, not just the part. When we vote on November 7^th, may the values we use as our philosophical and spiritual guidance be loving and wise.  

“Election Day” by Gary Kowalski

from Green Mountain Spring and Other Leaps of Faith
Boston: Skinner House Books, 1997

It is the day before the election as I write these lines, and whatever the outcome, I will be glad when it’s over. Some will be elated by the results, and others will feel dejected, but regardless of who wins or loses, our world will still be broken and suffering from ills that government is powerless to cure. Our lives will still be chaotic and in need of tranquility; grief and loss will continue to haunt us; we will still face the challenge of finding meaning and a faith that can sustain us through tough times.

            Campaigning in America often carries messianic overtones, and politicians collude in the drama by puffing their biographies to mythic proportions. They make big promises, but no new administration can deliver friendship, peace of mind, personal integrity, or a sense of self-worth. Finding the qualities that make life worth living, building them into our daily lives, and passing them along to our children, will continue to be our personal responsibility, regardless of who controls town hall, congress, or the White House.

            Voting is important, but there are many other ways in which we can exercise power in our own lives and influence the world for the better. Self-government, after all, begins at home: with how I treat my neighbor, relate to my family, care of my community, and how I work and play. Hope for the future depends less on who gets elected than on our ability to exercise our own power for good.