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How Will God Vote in 2020?
The question is so absurd as to be ridiculous. It assumes a belief in God and an understanding of the character of God. In the Western tradition God has been defined as infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. Human beings by comparison are finite, weak, and ignorant.
How can anyone claim to fully understand the mind of God or God’s purposes in the present moment? Unless God is communicating directly to us, the best we can do is study how other people have understood God’s priorities in the past. The famous Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and their echoes in Luke provide us with some clues about God’s priorities for people and politics.
The Beatitudes begin with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 KJV)
Luke, in the Sermon on the Plain quotes Jesus as saying, “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6: 20b KJV)
Four verses later he offers a contrast, “But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.” (Luke 6: 24 KJV)
Like many comfortable suburbanites I prefer Matthew’s version. Become poor in spirit and receive the kingdom of heaven. God seems to prefer humility to arrogance.
Luke’s version, however, hits a nerve for affluent Americans. “Blessed are the poor?” I…
