This Sunday, our country finds itself at the mid-point between the nominating conventions of the two major political parties. By this point our choices for the November Presidential election should be clearly defined.

But how will we make that important decision? Perhaps the words of today’s Gospel can be the litmus test for our analysis. Jesus chastises Peter for “thinking not as God does, but as humans do.” What comparison is Jesus making? He tells Peter that we humans generally orient our decisions on what will make our lives most comfortable. But if we are truly aligned to God’s will, we must be willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. Being a follower of Jesus Christ means that exercising our citizenship cannot be based merely on political expediency or ‘what’s in it for me.’ We must be willing to make sacrifices in order to bring God’s Kingdom more fully into being in this world. Throughout salvation history, entire societies were judged on how they cared for the weak, vulnerable and outcast members of their society. Are we, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, willing to sacrifice some of our own comfort and security in order to care for the poor and the foreigner?

When we make such selfless and sacrificial decisions, many will chide us and tell us we are wrong, especially if our position is not the popular one. And yet, like the prophet Jeremiah, we must be willing to face derision and reproach in order to speak the “word of the Lord” into every political debate. Like the prophet, our hearts must be so on fire for God’s will, that we cannot hold it in, regardless of the consequences. Our ‘political platform’ must always be to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.