Hey friends! Jesse and Marissa here!

Let's talk about the obvious: It's election time! Most of you may not follow politics or be able to vote, but you might have heard your teachers and parents talk about it. So should we be involved and paying attention? Yes! It might not feel like this affects you, or it may feel like an easy way to make jokes on social media right now, but the truth is that when someone has authority over you, it does affect you, whether you know it or not. The Bible has some important facts to teach us about authority, whether you believe blue or red is best.

Before you repost the memes and judgments as we wait for the count to be finalized, God challenges us to do something: pray for our leaders. Pray for the people making decisions in our government that affect your life. "Pray for THEM?! But Marissa and Jesse, don't you see what they say about us??" Yes, we do! Pray anyway. Let's see what the Bible says:

"The first thing I want you to do is to pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone, you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well to be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live." 1 Timothy 2:1-3 MSG

Whoa, God talks about politics in the Bible! It was a big surprise to the first Christians that heard this too. It was a command from God to pray for those who hurt and killed Christians. Today, as we wait for our elected president to be announced, we ask you to join us in praying for both candidates and their teams, along with all political figures in your city, state, and country. Pray for them so that we can live peaceful lives. The Bible calls us to respect them and the law of the land. As a representation of God, we must endure this moment in time with grace, compassion, and love. We should choose to love people well, no matter what. We can not come to everyone with judgment, hate, and bullying because of who they vote for. We are all one in Christ Jesus—there is no divide; there is just the body of Christ.

Let's pray for heart change in our government and our nation. As Pastor Dre said, "fruitless debates, fear, and hateful conversations are all too common on social media even by our brothers and sisters in Christ." What can you do online and with your classmates to bring us together as we wait for a decision that will affect us all? How can your family unit represent Jesus at this time instead of just blue or red? We love you and pray that no matter who is elected for office, we will trust God ultimately and process the results in love, not arrogance or hate.

-Jesse and Marissa