There Is No Perfect Candidate

We as humans are often so eager to jump on a political bandwagon - or a celebrity bandwagon, for that matter (and it’s getting kind of difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins!). Consider the hype surrounding presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign, or the clamorous support of conservatives in response to John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. In the latter case, it seems clear that evangelical voters want someone to latch onto, and Sarah Palin is the choice of the moment.

[It would also seem that the news of her daughter Bristol's unwed teenage pregnancy would be a little jarring for Palin's evangelical fan base, but this article enlarges on that point: "The fact that Britney Spears' younger sister made the same decision to keep her pregnancy at 17 and that Juno was a hit movie only adds an unexpected glamour to the choice." I think that is true for the nation in general, not just Christian conservatives. The tide seems to have turned when it comes to teenage/unwed pregnancy.]

Surprising as this entire situation continues to be, I think it illustrates an important point: there is no perfect political candidate. (John Piper is not planning on running for office anytime soon.) No, even the most godly leaders our nation has known have still lacked in many ways. That truth extends beyond the United States of America, but it is being brought forth again during this year’s election season.

I think it shows our capacity and need to be fervently committed to a cause and a person. Consider what this young woman, former Elle associate publisher Samantha Fennell, writes about Senator Obama:

Barack Obama must be elected President of the United States. It’s his worldview, his clarity of judgment, and his just plain right-mindedness that resonate with me. Figuring that my efforts were best spent raising money for the campaign, I have thrown myself into a new world—one in which fluffy chatter and frivolous praise are replaced by a get-to-the-point directness and disciple-like devotion. It’s intense and intoxicating. …

Wow. In a strange way, Ms. Fennell’s words convicted me. I want her idolatrous words about this political candidate to be true of my walk with the Lord. I want to live completely in this new world – where fluffy chatter and frivolous praise are replaced by directness and the complete devotion of a disciple.

The only perfect candidate to play this role in our lives is Christ Himself.