Many pundits comment on the bitter division that currently exists in America, as if it is a surprise. The truth is that the political process inherently fosters divisiveness. God's Word says this is evidence of the basest elements of human nature at work. "For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3).

There are two elements common to the political process, either of which usually brings out the worst in human nature: competition and self-promotion. By competition, I mean the kind that seeks to destroy an opponent. One gets the impression from listening to each campaign's rhetoric that not only is the opponent unworthy of office, but he is frankly such a scoundrel that he should be arrested and prosecuted!

Candidates and their supporters put their opponent's every word (even their facial expressions!) under a microscope, ready to pounce on and exploit the slightest misstep. We've seen this time and again in the current political season. And, when we closely examine the "facts" cited by the campaigns, even by a supposedly neutral press, we discover exaggerations, distortions, unsupported innuendo and the occasional bald-faced lie. It seems that candidates believe whatever it takes to get one into office is acceptable behavior. Truthfulness and honesty, qualities at the heart of good character, aren't a requirement.

The New Living Translation of the Bible comments on the tendency to quibble over words: "This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, fighting, slander, and evil suspicions" (1 Timothy 6:4). How's that for a commentary on today's politics?

Let's look at "slander and evil accusations." Anyone thinking of entering politics knows that opponents will paw through their past lives, looking for those mistakes, exposing and amplifying them for all to see. It makes no difference whether one has repented, changed and grown beyond those mistakes. Those running for a major public office can count on the fact that someone will exhume every "skeleton" from wherever it is buried!

The evil twin of trying to destroy the opponent is the promotion of one's self. Ancient Wisdom says, "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips" (Proverbs 27:2). The nature of politics is for a candidate to tell everyone how great he or she is, repeatedly urging listeners, "Choose me over the other candidate!" Or, an army of surrogates, both volunteer and paid, will passionately promote their candidate's virtues.

How different the status quo is from this counsel about humility: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" (Philippians 2:3)!

James tells us what godly character looks like in action, contrasted with base human character. "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" (James 3:16-17).

The United Church of God is non-political. We do not endorse one candidate above another.

We take Christ at His Word that healthcare issues, financial needs, crime and the threat of war will continue to plague the best of human governments. Every administration will fall short of making the nation completely secure or its economy perpetually robust. And, the political system will continue to disappoint and divide people.

Yet, we are promoting good government—the government of which Jesus Christ spoke, the Kingdom of God. Perhaps you've not realized that He spoke about ushering in a much superior governmental administration. There will be a spiritual aspect to the government of Jesus Christ, for its leaders and administrators will all have true godly character. And His government will be completely free of nefarious politics.