How Would Jesus Vote?

This week brings us to the end of two political conventions.  It will be interesting to see how the political landscape now changes--or doesn't.

I have always been interested in the intersection between faith and politics.  How does our faith inform our voting choices?  How important is it to have a candidate who shares our faith views?  Can we see a candidate as moral, if our faith views don't align?  How important is behavior?

I am intrigued by the various responses to Donald Trump.  Clearly, if there's a faith community who formed him, we don't know what it is.  He doesn't spend regular time with any community whom I would recognize as faithful to a religious tradition, although perhaps they are--could it be that they're just not comfortable talking about their faith?

Trump has a long reputation for not making good on his promises, for stiffing contractors and various types of small business owners--my faith tradition would not see this behavior as meshing with a man who is faithful.

Of course, for every person with  a betrayed-by-Trump story, we might be able to find one where Trump went above and beyond the call of duty.  This man has had numerous family configurations--is it telling that no family member has emerged to tell a horror story?

I can do this same analysis on the Democratic side.  I believe that Hillary Clinton has stayed true to many of her Methodist values--but why is it so hard for her to just tell us the truth about some of the issues which have threatened to sink her?

So, how would Jesus vote?  I believe that Jesus would look at all of our power structures and analyze who is helped and who is hurt.  I believe his vote would be with the ones who would look out for the ones who are outside the power structures.

I will be listening closely for those messages in the hundred days before I head to the voting booth.