I thought I would pull a post from my “archives” for this glorious Election Day in America.

Some will vote Red, some will vote Blue. Some will even vote Purple (like me, voting a split ticket between Republican and Democratic candidates), defying the stifling categories of Right and Left. Front and center in the Right-Left polarity is the issue of Life. Some insist on fighting for the lives of the unborn. Some struggle for the lives and justice of those living now. I say we need both struggles: why can’t we vote for Pro-Life and mean both the living and the preliving.

That’s the way I voted today. I voted with these two white and red wristbands. “Life” is etched in one, which represents the campaign to end abortion. The other has “One” is inscribed, which comes from the One Campaign to end global poverty and bring awareness to issues of justice and quality of life right now.

One wrist. Two wristbands. One vote. A vote that incorporated both ends of the spectrum of the Life Issue.

Today I was reflecting on, of all things, my right wrist. Yes, I actually expended mental energy on the recent transformation of my wrist with two colored wristbands. As pictured above, one represents a desire to see an end to global poverty, the other an end to the heinous act of pre-born homicide, abortion. It’s funny that in a town that prances giddy over polarization and politicization, two opposites can co-exist on the same wrist. And why not? Both seem to be equally important and valid concerns to God; the Creator of universe cares equally, undivided about the poor and children, unborn or not.

On one wrist, two God-concerns (and opposite political ones) exist to make one statement: God cares about the poor and the unborn. In the Book of Exodus, we see an instruction to let the 7th year of Israel’s fields lay unused so the “poor among your people may get food from it…” In Deuteronomy, the Lord instructs his people to be “openhanded toward the poor and needy in your land.” Psalms says, “defend the cause of weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” Countless times, Jesus instructs us to give to the poor, to preach good news of restoration to them, and goes so far as to throw open the gates of the Kingdom of God to these people. The poor have a place in the Kingdom of Heaven and are to be looked after, cared for, and protected by God’s people.

As equally important are children, even the unborn. Why are the unborn important to God, yes they are weak and helpless, but primarily because they are Eikons (images) of himself. Each human life is created after his/her Creator. Psalm reveals that God creates each pre-born child’s inmost being and knits each person together in the womb of his or her mother. More importantly, Jesus shatters the cultural repulsion of children by rebuking the disciples when they try to prevent the “little children” from reaching their Creator. Instead Jesus commands, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” Clearly, Jesus promotes a culture of children and rebukes individuals who desire to turn (or throw) them away.

One wrist, two wristbands, two statements. One God, who is big and deep and loving and unified enough to care about both the poor and pre-born. While the Church is divided by such “colors,” especially this Election Day, thankfully our God isn’t.

be His this Election Day,
-jeremy