Election Day 2012 vote for your neighbor

It's election day in the United States of America. 
It's a day of honor and privilege for all citizens in our republic.  It's also the beautiful day when billions spent on advertising on television, internet, radio, print ads, bill boards, and phone calls comes to a blessed end.  And it's a day to remember our neighbors.
Christians are called to honor God first in their lives and God calls on us to honor our neighbor's lives and well being as we honor our own.   Election day is no different for Jesus followers. When we vote we vote for our neighbor's good as much as our own.

Jesus called his first followers to do onto others as they would have done onto themselves.  His direction to honor neighbors and look out for their well being isn't novel.  Jesus joined the great line of ancient Hebrew prophets who called on God's people Israel to honor God with lives of simple worship--lives in which the poor--specifically widows, orphans, and aliens in the midst of the nation--who were cared for by the people.
It's a day to look ahead as much as behind.  The good thing about our republic is that we are moving into the future together.  Even through great struggles like economic depression and natural disasters we have moved forward for nearly 225 years as a republic.  Some say there is too much resistence in our age--but looking back at the incredible resistance of the civil war in the 1860s and civil rights struggle in the 1960s it's clear that our republic is moving into the future together as imperfect as ever. 
So go and vote--vote for what's good for you and for your neighbor.
Pax, John
publish simultaneously at http://unlikelyj.tumblr.com/post/35124234741/election-day-2012-vote-for-your-neighbor