Ballot Boxing: Un-solemn assemblies

Perhaps it’s an accidentally ironic theme for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., to promote a month ahead of the presidential election. This weekend the Gothic cathedral that’s hosted sobering presidential funerals and solemn wartime prayer services will invite pets and their owners to the outside steps of the church for a “blessing of the animals” conducted by clergy.

(Also on the church grounds, the “Carnival of the Animals” will celebrate with sculptures of animals, including one showing a group of creatures holding hands in a circle designed to “exude a cheerful wit and whimsy. …”)

All of this comes as Americans get set to choose their next president in an election season that has turned downright beastly. After a dismal debate earlier this week, the presidential campaigns were arguing over whether one of Donald Trump’s former Miss Universe pageant winners appeared in a sex tape.

This is a season for seeking God’s mercy, not praying for poodles.

The National Cathedral’s whimsical weekend not only ignores the seriousness of the times, it fails to offer the serious hope of a Christian gospel that transcends controversial political figures and depressing voting dilemmas.

In fairness, the cathedral will hold its Sunday Eucharist before the animal blessing, but the presiding minister is an expert in “womanist theology” who also advances LGBT causes—an effort the cathedral staff has endorsed for years.

This is a season for seeking God’s mercy, not praying for poodles.

It won’t be the solemn assembly we read about in the book of Nehemiah when God’s people confessed their sins, sought God’s mercy, and rejoiced in His forgiveness.

Thankfully, plenty of Christian churches will hold such services this weekend, and a central challenge in those assemblies will be to confess our own sins, not just the sins of others, even in the most beastly of political climates.

Indeed, the first temptation recorded in Genesis was for Adam and Eve to bow to a beast and take the place of God. Eve fell prey to the serpent’s lie that following her own will would make her like God, instead of believing that following God’s will would fulfill her humanity as made in God’s image.

We’ve been falling for the same temptation ever since.

We see it in our political leaders, but we also see it in ourselves, and the coming weeks bring an opportunity to humbly ask for God’s mercy on our nation, our churches, and ourselves.

For those considering particularly focused ways to do this, John Piper’s classic book on fasting, A Hunger for God, offers helpful biblical teaching on a spiritual discipline designed to intensify our spiritual longing and express our dependency on God.

For those still searching their consciences for what they’ll do on Election Day, an article from Desiring God Ministries offers a consideration on the biblical notion of conscience. The central idea: Following your conscience isn’t just following your gut.

I’ve personally been enjoying the nourishing teaching of The Heidelberg Catechism, and Kevin DeYoung offers helpful meditations in his book The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism.

The Heidelberg Catechism is famous for its first question (“What is your only comfort in life and death?”), but I’ve found a new favorite also comforting in these perplexing days.

The answer to Question 27 defines the providence of God as “the almighty and ever present power of God,” which He uses to uphold and rule all things. The answer to the next question tells us how this knowledge helps us:

“We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from His love. All creatures are so completely in His hand that without His will they can neither move nor be moved.”