Hanging Chad Theology

Recently an opportunity presented itself to educate my 12 year old about the electoral process. He asked a question about voting and one thing led to another. We talked about popular vote and electoral vote and, eventually, the problems with the 2000 Presidential election. (For those who didn't follow it, you can read more about the controversy at Wikipedia or CNN.)

I explained to my son, complete with a visual demonstration, the challenge of the punch ballots which were used in Florida, and illustrated the difficulty in determining the intention of a vote, especially those dreaded hanging chads we all now know more about than we ever wished to know. The argument is that some of the ballots might be a clear vote when one person looked at it, and an unclear vote to another person. They attempted to create some standard by which the ballots in question could be measured; however, in the end, it was entirely subjective. In the 2000 vote, this led to repeated hand recounts in order determine the intent of each ballot and to certify the vote.

When I demonstrated how a vote could be miscounted simply because of an unclear punch and a counter's perspective, my son said "Well, it could be really hard for anyone to tell for sure what people meant, wouldn't it?"

Honestly, as I thought about it, I became aware of the wisdom of those words.

In Christianity, we so often seem bent on trying to determine each other's sincerity about life with Christ; we criticize each other for not being "clear enough" in our vote. However, at what point is a person objective enough to accurately determine another person's intentions?

I could be considered a hanging chad, in a sense. To some people looking at my spiritual ballot, it would be clear to them who I am voting for. To others, there would be controversy about my beliefs because they don't see the hole as being punched clearly enough so that all who looked at me would know whom I cast my ballot for at first glance. We are forever recounting each other, looking for the things which we personally have determined to be the clear markers of a true Christian.

I'm thankful God doesn't operate the Kingdom in the same manner; expecting what looks to the human eye to be a a clear punch as determining a vote. I do believe there are many gray areas to our faith, and a faith that might look insincere or incomplete to one person is the most humble and grounded faith to another person. I believe God looks to the heart when determining a person's sincerity, something we as humans are entirely unable to do with any objectivity. In the end, when all the votes are counted, God may see some seemingly vague intentions to be not so vague at all.


Please visit my fellow synchrobloggers on the topic of The Politics of God. Post links will be updated as they become available:

Phil Wyman: "The Talking Points of Presumption"
Lainie Peterson: "Questioning the Citizen Deity"
Jonathan Brink: "The Political Fray"
Sonja Andrews: "Won't Get Fooled Again"
Adam Gonnerman: "Living Christ's Present Reign"
Mike Bursell
Sally Coleman: "Inside the politicians' head"
Steve Hayes: "God's Politics"
Matt Stone
Steve Hollinghurst
KW Leslie: "God's Politics."
Julie Clawson: "Singing the Songs of Zion in Babylon"
Dan Stone: "The Rivers Shall Open for the Righteous"
Beth Patterson: "Learners inheriting the earth"
Alan Knox: "Is God red, blue, or purple?"