Autumn Election

This has been a spectacular autumn foliage season in New Hampshire. The colors are extraordinary here in the Lakes Region this year. The warm, dry summer-like weather has made the viewing of the leaves even more pleasant. But along with the autumn foliage comes the fall election. That has been much less pleasant. In fact the political climate of this election season has been downright nasty. 

Pondering these two regular autumn occurrences – elections and foliage - makes me wonder if they have more in common than I realized. After all, autumn means the death of annual flower and vegetable gardens. The beautiful colors of autumn are caused by the dying of the leaves. Already the maple leaves are decaying on the ground, providing nutrients for the next growing season. Hopefully the political manure of this autumn will also serve as fertilizer for a better spring. 

The cycle of nature causes me to look at the cycle of nations. It makes me wonder if our American culture is also dying. Nations and empires do not last forever. Ask any Brit about the British Empire. It is a shadow of its former self. In the Bible we read about the great Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires. Those ancient superpowers are dead and gone.  

Why do empires fall? I was watching a television detective show the other day. Primetime dramas are not generally known for their wisdom, but I heard some truth in this episode. A mom was asking her son about his homework, specifically about the reason for the fall of the Roman Empire. The boy responded with a one word answer: “Hubris.” That about sums it up.  

There is a lot of hubris on display in America these days. I think it is destroying our nation and our culture, not to mention our religion. I would not be surprised if we are witnessing the beginning of the end of the American experiment. People on both sides of the political spectrum are warning of such a thing ... if the other side wins. I suspect at least one of them is correct; perhaps both of them are right.  

It seems to me that many people can no longer discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood, or good from evil. Especially distressing to me as a pastor is the role of popular American Christianity in the decline of public and private morality. Financial and sex scandals have revealed the rot at the core of the American church for years. The current sell-out of the church to political power makes it clear that any authentic spiritual power is now gone from the pulpit and pew. 

Jesus said that you can discern the health of a tree by its fruit. The fruit of popular Christianity these days is rotten. That does not mean there are not genuine followers of Jesus in America. You can find them in nearly every church. But genuine Jesus-followers are a small spiritual minority in a large religious institution that has lost its way. Call this faithful remnant the Moral Minority.  

The situation makes me sad. Perhaps this feeling is just the result of the decrease in sunlight as we leave the autumnal equinox behind and head toward the winter solstice. The loss of daylight tends to affect my mood. But I suspect it is more than that. There is a lack of spiritual light in the church. The American nation and the American church seem to have forgotten what they are and what they are meant to be.  

I am not sure that this election – or any future election – can turn around this cultural and spiritual decline. I hope it can delay it a bit and give us a chance to change course. Yet it has been a long time coming, and I suspect it will be a long time before it turns around. King Solomon is said to have been asked to create a signet motto that would be true in both good and bad times. He responded, "This, too, will pass away."  

The glory days of American political and cultural leadership in the world may be passing away. The days of the Christian church’s spiritual and moral leadership have already passed away. The hypocrisy of the church has caused it to lose any credibility in the eyes of society. I only pray that this winter of decay is short-lived and that a spring of resurrection will come sooner rather than later.