Is it because I’m older? Is that why I care more about elections than I used to?
As much as I love learning about society and social trends, following politics has always given me a bit of a headache. So, although I have nearly always voted, I have not always voted with the necessary understanding to make smart decisions.
What I now realize, though, is that in my role as a Catholic Christian, voting is of utmost importance. People sometimes throw out the “but the separation of church and state…no politics in church” argument. That paraphrase of Thomas Jefferson’s words came to be to protect the people who live under a government from being forced to practice a particular religion. He wanted to keep what happened in England from happening here. We, the land of the free, should also be free to choose how we celebrate God, right? What he did not mean to stop was the conversation that happens among people who practice the same faith as they seek to understand social issues through the lens of faith. (NOTE: you should never be told WHO TO VOTE FOR in church…God gave us free will for a reason!)
As Matthew’s gospel tells us over and over again, heaven is already here on earth, we need only to make it so. We have the ability and the power within each and every one of us to make a positive difference in this world, and one of the easiest ways to make that difference is to vote.
I cannot think of any more powerful way to spend two hours. In that amount of time, you can research enough to understand who on the ballot agrees with you on particular issues. Those brief two hours have an extraordinary impact on the people in our communities.
Arizona’s primaries are August 28th. I spent my two hours today researching in the hopes that my small voice speaks loudly with those around me in bringing our country just a little closer to heaven.
Join me!
god forever tries 