The parable of the talents

Sorry, really I've not been hiding underneath a rock... :) I've been thinking and reading and running around.

To me, voting is one of the things that I've been given in this time/place. It's something like the parable of the talents - I should use, to the best of my ability, all of what I'm given in this time and place for Truth and Good, as defined by God. My vote is one of the things I'm given, so I use it. Whether or not it takes is up to God, not to me. John Piper wrote an interesting article about that... realising that our citizenship is not here, and we shouldn't get worked up about the results of political races.

As for abortion and doing things to prevent that... yes, of course. That's a great example of how the body of Christ should be out there as a whole body. One part of the body working to prevent abortions from being needful (in fact my church supports an agency that helps unwed moms through keeping their children or adopting them out) and another part of the body sitting in front of abortion centers nursing their babies and/or praying peacefully. We are supposed to do BOTH things, not pick one or the other. What can we do that is good and lawful and shows our love?

In an ideal Church (spoken of as the Church as every believer, not Mennonites or Baptists or...) we would be out there living the life of faith *and* evangelizing. Putting our hands out to the folks around us in a helpful manner *and* standing up for what our Lord tells us is good and right. Some of us are good at one, some at another.

I didn't know that Mennonites did fireman sorts of work - to me that is wrapped up in police work.

I believe that police work is just part of living in this fallen world, and is part of the authority that God has given to kings and governments generally, to protect the people under their rule. So, performing those duties is just being part of that temporal "body" of the government. Would it be best if that wasn't needful? Yes. But do I want to live without my police? No. Should I shun work that is needful? I don't think that's right, really I don't. If it needs doing, we should do it, "as unto the Lord".

Does it matter if we "win" this election, or any of the things that are on the ballot that are near and dear to my heart? No, it doesn't. Not eternally. I know God has it under control. But it matters how I vote, what *I* do. Because what I do is not to this temporal world, it's to God. He put me here... I shall do my best to make this world a place where God is given the glory.