Primary Shakeup

Less than two weeks after U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (LA) was defeated in his Republican primary for reelection, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX) was defeated 64%-36% in the U.S. Senate Republican primary by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Sen. Cornyn has been in the Senate for 24 years and was the second-highest ranking Republican in the chamber until his defeat. Paxton will now face Texas state Rep. James Talarico in one of the most watched general elections for U.S. Senate in November.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Primary season always has the potential to shift the preconceived outcome of the general election, and this year’s results have certainly done so. The defeat of Cassidy and Cornyn marks at least a changing of the guard for Senate Republicans, and Democrats hope it boosts their chances to take the Texas seat. In the U.S. House, Rep. Thomas Massie (KY) also lost a high-profile Republican primary after President Donald Trump endorsed his opponent.

As a Jesus follower, these results may align with your political perspective or they may not. If you reside in LA, TX, or KY, they certainly have an impact in how you are represented in the federal government, and you undoubtedly felt the advertising impact as the races came down the stretch to election day.

No matter your political persuasion, however, Election Day is more of a mile marker in your mission than a finish line. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the mission and mandate you have as a Jesus follower, persists in every political environment and across all partisan divides. Whether you find yourself victorious or vanquished in a political sense today, your mission remains the same as it was last week, last month, and last year: “Go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19).

Every election is routinely billed as “the most important election ever.” But you have already been tasked with the Great Commission, and you don’t have to wait for the election season to walk it out!