How should Episcopalians vote?

Congress, at the very last minute, found a way to end the partial government shutdown and avoid defaulting on bills. In a special election a few weeks ago, New Jersey elected a new Senator. Next week there will be elections for governor of New Jersey, mayor of New York City, and public officials across the nation. This is an appropriate time to ask, “How should Episcopalians vote?” There is no one right answer for all Episcopalians. In fact, there’s no answer at all as a denomination—one of the joys and struggles of the Episcopal Church is that people of every political persuasion and people completely indifferent to political life all gather around one altar to worship and offer themselves to God. That doesn’t mean no guidance however. Here are some tools within our tradition that can (dare I say should?) shape our behaviors and choices. First, our approach is “habit forming.” Literally. The Anglican approach to ethics comes out of the monastic tradition and the traditions of the “Desert Fathers and Mothers,” people who left the chaotic and multicultural, pluralistic world of the cities to pray, alone and in small communities. The Book of Common Prayer is grounded in monastic practices. Derek Olson, an Episcopal moral theologian, puts it well: If the Christian faith is about a relationship between humans and God, then Anglican theology asks: “What habits can we cultivate to nurture that relationship?” The approach begins with how we think, feel, and ultimately shapes how we behave towards God and our neighbors, which includes the whole of creation. The cultivation of holy habits begins when we accept the free gift of grace offered by God, and begin the lifelong adventure of being transformed more and more into the image of God, known in Jesus. God is in charge of the transformation—our task is to pay attention and to keep choosing the life, love, mercy that God offers. Then, Anglicans use Scripture, Tradition, and Reason to shape the way we understand and act in response to God’s grace. These three resources were named by Richard Hooker, a theologian thinking through the laws of the newly formed Church of England in the 16th century. Scripture: Reading the Bible in community; hearing and praying with the Bible in worship. Tradition: Begin with Book Of Common Prayer, expand to any of the vast resources of the Christian church over 2000 years. Reason: Does what you are reading and doing make sense of your own experiences and what has been discovered about the world around us through research and practice? Insights from each of these three domains are tested in light of the others, in a process of ongoing revelation informed by God and directed by grace. The cultivation of holy habits also relies on a “fearless moral inventory,” to borrow a term from Twelve Step programs. What leads us into temptation? The Baptismal Covenant asks us to renounce Satan and spiritual forces of wickedness, evil powers of this world, and sinful desires. Regular confession allows us to acknowledge that we sin, repent, and find strength to keep discovering and sharing God’s love. Finally, the Baptismal Covenant describes holy habits affirmatively: continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers; persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord; proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself; and strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being Those are the qualities that we need as individuals and as societies if we expect to make a difference in our world, to make God’s Kingdom known. Those are the qualities by which we evaluate candidates, policies, laws, and practices in the voting booths, in business, in our family and common life. They may lead individuals to make very different choices, but they are the common vision through which Episcopalians understand and act in the world.