Drawing Lines
In the latest installment of a redistricting battle between red and blue states, the Virginia Supreme Court will soon decide whether to allow a redrawing of congressional lines recently approved by Virginia voters. The court’s decision turns on whether the Virginia legislature complied with the state’s constitutional requirements for such a vote. The Virginia debate is the latest in a lengthy series of state actions in both Republican-controlled states and Democrat-controlled states to redraw congressional lines in a way that produces more partisan wins for the respective party. While congressional lines are typically re-drawn once every decade after a new census, the current back-and-forth has both parties trying to find a partisan edge.
Analysis and eternal perspective: What is the goal? Take a look at the newly drawn congressional lines in both red and blue states, and it will be clear to you the goal is not common-sense congressional district lines. The goal for both parties is to squeeze as much partisan control out of every state in which they currently have power.
This is far from an ideal situation, but it is in fact one of the features of the American system of federalism. States are in charge of their own line-drawing, as well as the lion’s share of the election mechanics in their own state. America’s founders designed the system this way as one of the many checks and balances on authority, and each state has the ability to respond (or not) to the actions of another state.
As for the whether the new lines in Virginia (or any other state) will stand, it will most often depend on whether the state courts find adequate compliance with the process as proscribed in state law (both the state constitution and statutory law).
These stories are dividing—literally and figuratively—people, including Jesus followers. Your challenge and mine is interacting with these stories and the larger dynamic of self-governance in a way that demonstrates the love of Jesus to both those who vote like you and those who don’t, and through serving the needs of those who are drawn into your district as well as those who are drawn out of it.
Bottom line: Amid a process of dividing, you can and should embody the love of Jesus to all (Jam. 2:1-13)!