Psalm 146:1-4

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” vss. 3-4

Some people get caught up in the frenzy of political campaigns and become ardent supporters of one or another candidate. In today’s passage the psalmist has a precautionary word for such folks, “Do not put your trust in princes,” he says, and he means politicians too! While it does make some difference who we vote for and who is elected, none of those officials are worthy of ultimate trust. None of them will be able to keep all of the promises they make, and some of them don’t even try. They will say whatever they need to say in order to be elected. While undoubtedly some of them believe their promises and are sincere in what they offer, none of them can bring joy to our lives or peace to our souls. They can make us afraid but they can’t calm our fears or give us eternal life. They gain notoriety for a few short years or more and then they fade out of memory. When we realize that the psalmist is right it’s possible for us to smile about our political differences and not allow them to be divisive. Followers of Jesus can be liberal or conservative and together we are the Body of  Christ. Through our actions, God’s work is done.

Thought for the Day: Why do people with opposing political views drive me crazy?