The Journey Continues: The Charles Schulze Philosophy
My journey this week takes me to the Election next Tuesday. My wife, Judy, and I voted this Tuesday at an early voting site. We took turns voting because we had one piece of paper — a voter’s guide — that we had discussed and annotated with our choices. We both wanted to take the guide with us to remember all the names we had chosen to vote for in this General Election. Afterward, Judy and I compared that when voting she mark a choice differently on the ballot from what we had agreed on — surprise. But we still love each other…. and we love our family and friends who probably voted differently from us.
As a pastor, and a former Officer in the Armed Forces, I have always tried to live “apolitical” with no partisan bumper stickers or yard signs. I quote one passage found in Romans 13:6-8(NIV) that I think is a good guideline for ministers: “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue, if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” Being a pastor, I did not need to be drawn into political controversy, but always have “the continuing debt to love one another” because God first loved me.
Next, let me quote direct from The Armed Forces Officers Guide: “The armed forces are the final bulwark for the preservation of the constitution and the security of the nation. We could not tolerate ‘Republican officers’ and ‘Democratic officers’ with a vast switch of positions with each change of party in national power. Loyalties go to the nation and to its form of government. Members of the service, career, and non-career, may cast their votes; they may hold convictions as sturdily as any other citizen; and they may agree or disagree in their own minds about policies announced by our Government. But they do not have the right or privilege of public criticism of persons or policies which pertain to the Government of the nation.”
As we drove away from the polling place, it came to me: the Holy Bible is my ‘ voter’s guide’ from God.
