Yes, I have been celebrating more than once or twice since Election Night. I thought it good to give myself the space to do so. I even opened up for friends an imperial porter hiding in my fridge for about ten years. (It was very good!)
But I also realize the title of this may seem presumptuous. Perhaps you do not consider the election result reason to celebrate; perhaps the opposite even if you do not go as far as Curtis Chang and think we should be “groaning with God.” Well, I hope in a couple years or so, Trump has led so well that you see you do have reason to celebrate his re-election. And I hope I will still do as well.
Still, most reading this celebrated, if more soberly than this Anglican. Now though it’s probably time to return to the everyday. Should we now change or at least adjust how we live after the celebration? I know I’ve asked myself that, and the answer is most definitely yes. So forbear with me if I write to myself as much as to you.
I know I need to back away from politics. If you read my substack, you know I have been focusing a lot on political matters. I’ve done so out of duty more than desire. I considered this election so important — and so perilous — that I felt a duty to do my part to inform, particularly since my knowledge of both current politics and political history is above average.
But politics is not my calling. (God bless and help you if politics is your calling. We need people who focus a lot on politics and governance for the right reasons.) And I’ve been putting off projects more in line with my calling. So I need to remind myself to back away from the politics, which is easier said than done when you have gotten too used to political warfare mode.
One reason it is tempting to stay in political warfare mode is that many of our opponents will. For they make idols out of political power and of the state. They make Holy State their god or one of their gods. If you lack faith that Christ will bring in His kingdom, it is all too tempting to use politics to bring in yours. So they are always deeply involved in politics. Christians, even those Christians more political than others, have or should have more balance to their lives and priorities. The Lord is our God. The state and the party are no gods at all to us. Faithfulness to God, church and family are much higher priorities. And we take to heart how Scripture in key passages portrays political powers as beasts.
We do need to be aware that our opponents are usually more involved in politics than we. We need to be aware of the harm their perpetual efforts can do. And, as needed, we should defend ourselves and others against them.
But we are not to imitate them. Again, the Lord is our God, not the state and not the party. He is our “very present help” not Holy State.
At the same time, we should obey God by fulfilling our responsibilities as citizens. So we should not repeat the mistakes of those who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 but did not vote in the 2018 and 2022 midterms, which omission enabled the Democrats in their predations. (I share the blame as I was in Oxford and lazily did not make arrangements to vote in 2018.) Yes, I know —it’s way too early to think about 2026. But rejecting political idolatry does not mean being irresponsible citizens who only exercise influence during presidential elections if even then.
So many of us cared about the election result and celebrated when it came in not so much because we crave political power but because we do not want it used against us. For many, it was a self-defense election. It sure was for me. We wanted to regain and keep our free speech, freedom of religion, parental rights, freedom from rampant crime, etc. We’d rather avoid having to take our convictions and ministries underground although we were and are willing to do so if that is the price of remaining faithful. Put a different way, many of us agreed with Rod Dreher’s Benedict Option but we hoped it to make not quite as urgent and needful as Dreher feared.
But now, at the very least, we have bought some time; it appears the totalitarians are kept at bay for four years at least. The question is what do we do with that time and space?
I’ve already spent more electrons than intended on the necessity of some political involvement and the danger of political idolatry, both that of others and of ourselves. So I think I should save a fuller answer to the above question for a later essay or two. But God has given us a victory and a mercy. We should not treat that as something to be mourned or to be ashamed of as some Big Eva Regimevangelicals are like Jamar Tisby, Curtis Chang, Soong-Chan Rah and John Piper.
We should not squander God’s gifts either. God has given us this victory and space not for us to “own the libs” but to use it for His purposes. So more on how to proceed on that at a later time.
After the Celebration
