The Election

by Fred Vilbig

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, “democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Although for reasons I have previously stated, I was relieved by the recent election results (I was losing sleep before it), I know that about one-half of all voting Americans were upset by it. Several were very upset.

I noticed (even in my own family) a generational divide in the election. I think that another famous quote from Churchill shows that: “Show me a young Conservative, and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old liberal, and I'll show you someone with no brains.”

The problem for many of us is that neither party really reflects a true Catholic perspective. I think that a Catholic politician would be either a moderate Republican or a Pro-Life Democrat. Politicians of either of those persuasions are few and far between.

Even if you were a Trump supporter, you cannot assume that he is going to do the right thing. You cannot assume that your elected officials are going to do what needs to be done to move the country in a positive direction. Years ago I was reluctantly appointed to the Ellisville City Council (I hung up on the mayor at least 7 times before I agreed to serve).It was a miserable experience. Even in a small town like Ellisville, the egos were huge. I just wanted to get done with the work and go home. I can’t imagine what it is like at the state or national level. And I assume that the people who want those jobs generally have larger than normal egos.

So the question for all of us is what should we do now? In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul told his disciple, Timothy, that we should we should offer prayers for those in authority over us so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives in godliness and holiness. It is interesting to note that Paul was apparently writing this right after his first imprisonment in Rome. He had been arrested in Jerusalem out of the envy of the Jews, and as a Citizen of Rome, he appealed to the Emperor. When that happened, the prisoner was sent to Rome for trial. So even after having been in some sort of confinement, he was telling Timothy to pray for those in authority.

And that is what we should be doing as well. No matter how you feel about the recent election, in all charity pray for those who were elected and for those who were defeated. We should also try to work with any of our friends and families who are angry and upset over the outcome, and pray for them as well. We should all work toward a more just and charitable community, state, and nation, in whatever way you can.

But above all, pray. May God have mercy on our country. It’s the only one we have.