ADVENT 18 (Coin): What's Important?

It is one week before Christmas Day, and we have now spent 18 days looking at various symbols related to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure. In the 15th chapter of Luke, Jesus used the example of a lost coin to illustrate the value of salvation. We can read in that chapter:
8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

During this season, we can be sensitized to people who may be celebrating Christmas, but do not know Christ.  This woman in the parable already had 10 silver coins, but sought out the lost one with diligence, recognizing what God considers important.

And, that's true for us - we have to prioritize what's important to God, and allow the Word of God to govern our thoughts, words, and actions, so that our faith in Christ will permeate every area of our lives. We are to be diligent to follow Him, to do His will.

I wanted to relate this concept of seeking out what's important to a major event that happened in our country just over a month ago.  Leading up to the election, at Faith Radio and throughout certain sectors of the Church, there was an emphasis on participating in the election.  I had Adam Rasmussen from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University on the program recently.  His is a colleague of George Barna, who is Director of Research there.

At the Center's website, there is a summary of post-election data. The report said:

According to the 2024 Post-Election Survey from Dr. George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, among self-identified Christians, 56% voted. The findings show notable engagement from SAGE Cons (i.e. Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservative Christians), who held true to form and almost universally voted (99% turnout, repeating their 2020 level and eight points higher than their 2016 turnout), Catholics (70%), and those holding a biblical worldview (67%). However, turnout declined among those affiliated with non-Christian faiths and those without religious affiliation.

As expected, the post-election research shows that total voter turnout was low compared to 2020. Despite extensive campaign spending and media coverage, 45% of voting-age Americans abstained from voting, with only 55% of the voting-age population casting ballots, down from 62% in 2020, according to the research findings.

Earlier 2024 Pre-Election Research from the Cultural Research Center correctly predicted that turnout among Christians would fall below 2020 levels, but that potentially devastating impact for the Trump campaign was blunted by the even lower levels of turnout among the Harris campaign’s target segments.

So what were Christians prioritizing in the 2024 election. The report notes:

• For Christians, key concerns were inflation (38%), immigration (34%), abortion (20%), and democracy (16%). Theologically-identified evangelicals focused more than other people did on immigration (40%) and the war in Israel (12%). Catholics were relatively more concerned with abortion.

• People with no religious faith were focused on a different set of issues than were Christian voters. They were far more interested in candidate positions on abortion (35% versus 20% among self-identified Christians); protecting democracy and freedoms (24% versus 16%), and environmental policies (14% compared to 4%).

Defense of the unborn, and the lack of it, was a major issue; the report states:

Support for unrestricted abortion grew among non-born-again Christians, with 24% identifying it as a vote-defining issue in 2024, doubling from 12% in 2020. In contrast, theologically-defined born-again Christians, especially from the Gen X and Baby Boom generations, largely opposed abortion on-demand; only 26% of Gen X and 24% of Boomers in this group supported unrestricted abortion access.

Again, I return the issue - what's important to us?  And are we diligently seeking the things of God?  Obviously, as Jesus illustrated in Luke 15, we are to be actively involved in the redemptive process, in evangelism - He is the One who redeems, we are called to share that message.  But, we are to be involved in communicating truth to our culture and being strong representatives of our Savior. 

Bunni Pounds, Founder and President of Christians Engaged, who has been a guest on The Meeting House multiple times, offered reflections on the recent election in a piece at Higher Ground Times.  She wrote:

Christians Engaged saw many victories as we mobilized over 850,000 Christians to vote in this election and every election in the future. What we are building together offers a distinct approach to civic engagement, one that combines faith with action. As we reflect on the election, we must continue to be challenged to move forward and see how God can even use us in a greater way.

She offered five lessons that are instructive to Christians as we live out the gospel in our culture:

1. Prayer is powerful. It cannot be an afterthought

Pounds notes: "In Mark 11:15-17, Jesus cleared the temple, declaring that His house should be called a 'house of prayer for all nations.' We must reflect on this – not just as a call to action for our churches but as a personal challenge for our individual lives. Prayer can transform us and our nation."

2. Take ownership of discipleship

She also relates:

Another critical lesson from this election is that Gen X (ages 45-64) played a decisive role in the outcome, shifting the election with a remarkable 10-point swing. The call is clear: We, as the generation of mature believers must rise to the occasion becoming spiritual mothers and fathers to the next generation. We must take ownership of discipleship in our families, and our churches, and become leaders in our communities. The other generations need us to be who we are called to be. This is not just a call for political action; it is a spiritual imperative.

3. Embrace authenticity in a culture of deception

Bunni Pounds poses this question: "Are we seeing through the deceptions around us and seeking out authentic leadership even though imperfect?" She notes that, "2 Peter 2:17-22 warns against the deceptions of false teachers, those who allure through empty promises and empty words. In a world filled with deceit, it is essential that we, as Christians, embody the truth."

4. Spiritual change is at the heart of civic engagement

We have to continue to recognize that, ultimately, changed minds come out of changed hearts.  So, we must never ignore the spiritual dynamics - in electoral politics and other areas of our lives.  Pounds writes:

Psalm 85:1-13 speaks of God’s desire to restore us, to bring peace and righteousness to our land. Revival is not just about external change; it is about internal transformation. If we want revival in our families, churches, and communities, it must start within us. We must return to the simplicity of walking with Jesus and living out our faith in every area of life.

5. The church must be strengthened for the challenges ahead

Pounds states:

One troubling trend is the seeming slight decline in evangelical voter participation. Born-again evangelicals now make up only 22% of the electorate, down from 26% in 2016. Though we saw growth in Christians voting in the Catholic communities, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, black and Hispanic populations, and even Gen Z males shifting more conservative, we saw a decline in the white evangelical Bible-believing voters overall running to the polls.

As the Cultural Research Center data shows: "...close to one-half of the voting-age population (45%) chose not to bother voting, despite both parties as well as candidates in all states and at all levels of government engaging in record-breaking spending and extensive get-out-the-vote campaigns..." The article goes on to say:

The most common reason for not voting was lethargy. One out of five voting-age, self-identified Christians (20%) said they had intended to vote but simply forgot or never got around to it. There was a similar level of neglect among non-Christian adults, as one-sixth of them gave the same reason.

The woman in the parable of Jesus lost a coin and sought it out with diligence. God has given us a unique position in our culture; He's given us a voice and He has sent us to walk in obedience to Him. When considering the challenges we have in our world today and the lost-ness all around us, we can be faithful to allow the Lord to use us to reflect His love and share His truth.  

The Bible cautions us in Galatians 6 to "not grow weary while doing good."  We are called not to be lazy or lethargic, not to be complacent.  Instead, in the power of the Spirit, we can allow the Lord to develop a passion within us so that we enthusiastically draw near to Him and passionately speak and act for His glory.