election day (again)

Today is the day to make your vote count, let your voice be heard, do your civic duty and all that good stuff...I see it as the last time I have to see all those stupid campaign ads(at least until 'o8). As a follower of Christ, I believe my votes can't be about making America a more "Christian" nation but about seeing that Christ's needs are met and that His kingdom is being established through love, compassion, and truth. And in doing so, I need to personally weigh issues and evaluate candidates; however, I need to do these things not based upon party affiliation but upon the matter of the issue and the character of the candidate. In my conversations with friends who are fellow followers, I'm encouraged to see that I share this mentality with many of them. I've talked about this plenty before and I can certainly go on and on about it so, I'll shut up now and leave some food for thought from Relevant Magazine:
"On any given even-numbered year, you can expect to be reminded of the “homosexual threat” and the downside of stem-cell research. You can also expect the death-toll from Iraq to be displayed prominently in every possible location. In addition, you can expect to hear that so-called “liberal pinheads” want nothing more than to ruin the country that they otherwise seem so interested in, and you will also undoubtedly be reminded of the fact that the Bush White House has quadrupled our national debt. And of course, this is the fault of every G.O.P. member, and not just W. Ann Coulter will tell you that liberals are “Godless” and also stupid, while Al Franken will argue that Coulter is in fact the anti-Christ, and Bill O’Reilly will tell everyone to “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” before muting their microphones. But in spite of all the propaganda, less than half of the country will show up to vote for our leaders, and the fed-up majority will rediscover its love of cooking, football and gin-rummy. How can you blame them?
It is important to elect Democrats if you define yourself as a Democrat and want to be defined as such. It is important to vote for Republicans if, first and foremost, you are a Republican, and again wish to be defined as such. However, if your primary affiliation, above and beyond that of politics, lies in your allegiance and dedication to Jesus Christ, then it is not a politician's party that we should be concerned with, but his or her person. Vote your morals this Tuesday, rather than your party. "