U.S. voters went to the polls in record numbers this week to cast their midterm ballots. The majority of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House was at stake, and Democrats took control of both chambers. Results are still coming in and there are still races too close to call, but it is clear Democrats will have a sizable majority in the U.S. House and have secured at least 54 of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, with two races still too close to call.
Both chambers now return to Washington, DC with several items on the to-do list before the newly elected Senators and Representatives are sworn in. This means that Republicans have one last stretch of unified government (Republican U.S. President Donald Trump was not on the ballot and has two years remaining in his term) in which to approve legislation without bipartisan cooperation. One of the major unanswered questions is whether all Members who lost reelection will show up for the “lame duck” session.
Analysis and eternal perspective: The pre-election fervor is often matched only by the breathless post-election analysis. In this case, you can expect some to call it a “blue wave” or a “referendum” election, and it is that in many political ways. But historically speaking, this week’s outcome is also in line with what has occurred in most recent midterm elections, as the party holding the White House typically loses ground. This is particularly true when the same party also holds both chambers of Congress, as voters are often inclined to spread that power out to some extent. In this vein, this week’s results are in line with what many political observers were expecting, though the extent of Democrat victories is larger than most predicted.
As Jesus followers, we begin by reflecting on our reminder from last week: God is on the throne (Ps. 47:8, Ps. 103:19, Is. 66:1, Rev. 4:2).
Manmade governments, and the political parties that participate in them, come and go—as does the political power that accompanies them—but God is sovereign and reigns through it all. So regardless of whether the authority of your preferred party increased or decreased this week, your God still rules above it all and your mission is as it was before the elections: “Go and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19-20).
This week, let’s live in a fashion that reminds the world Who it is we serve, and let’s endeavor to do it in a way that is unhindered by the tumultuous political winds around us.