We do not talk too much in our parish about elections and this is by design. I do not think it is appropriate for me to tell you how you should vote. However, I can say that as Orthodox Christians – as the rational flock of our Lord Jesus Christ – we are expected to educate ourselves about the candidates and vote for those that we think will best advance the moral and social teachings of Christ and best help our country. But if we feel our civic duty begins and ends at the voting booth we are completely mistaken. It is our responsibility – our Christian duty – whether we vote or not and for whomever we do vote if we do, to pray for our nation. St. Paul calls upon us to pray for our leaders. He made that call during the time that pagans ruled over (and often persecuted) all Christians and this call has never been rescinded by the Church. So let us fulfill our civic duty as our conscience directs us, but let us not forget our Christian duty to pray for our leaders – that God will guide them. If we do this we can hope for the peace that we pray for at every Divine Liturgy – a peace we are asking the Lord for so that we can work out our salvation (the most important goal in our lives as Christians) in the most expeditious context possible.

Fr. Gregory