I dedicate today’s reflection to that wonderfully democratic notion of voting.
The American experiment in democracy was founded during the intellectual period of the Enlightenment. Isaac Newton’s laws of gravity and mathematical calculus were towering achievements that set the course of modern technology to this day. The basic laws of physics and chemistry were being worked out in Europe and in the colonies during Jefferson’s day. It was an exciting time to be alive.
The Enlightenment thinkers possessed a kind of unshakable confidence in their achievements. If the human mind could only think hard enough and long enough, any problem could be solved, they reasoned. Political thought forged in the crucibles of the French and American Revolutions, rallied the thinking person against kings, tyrants, and despots in favor of power to the people, literally, “democracy.”
From the idea of the ancient Roman senate voting on matters of government sprang the idea of the people voting for their representatives. Even the leader of a nation could be selected by the power of people’s votes. The Continental Congress of the nascent United States would eventually enshrine these ideas in its Constitution between 1774 and 1787. Many of the framers of the U.S. Constitution were also members of the Church of England.
Around the same time as the U.S. Constitution was being drafted, the Episcopal Church was being formed to replace the Church of England in the colonies. No more would kings appoint bishops. No more would bishops assign rectors and clergy to positions within the church. This would simply not do in a nation whose political processes would be based upon voting. So voting became the force majeure of the newly-formed Episcopal Church.
Bishops are voted into office by the diocese and rectors of parishes are voted into office by the parish vestry. But, I ask you, if the church is to be based upon the bible, please give me one instance in the bible of voting. A number of verses talk about “election” but what is meant here has nothing to do with voting, but being specially chosen by God. Aside from “election” in its special meaning of being chosen by God, there is no instance of voting in the bible from Genesis to Revelation.
Why is this important? Because the Episcopal Church spends an enormous amount of energy voting for bishops and rectors. I have seen elections gamed by candidates and I have seen terrible instances of bishops interfering with parish elections. Could there be a better way? Could there be a way of selecting leaders that is not so prone to human manipulation?
Consider the humble “lot.” After Judas hung himself, the apostles got together to choose a replacement. Several candidates were considered. Acts 1:26 tells us “Then they cast lots and the lot fell on Matthias…” From 1000 BC to 1200 AD people believed that in a purely random process such as casting lots or drawing straws, the spirit of God would intervene to select God’s chosen candidate. The Greek word for the “lot” being cast is “kleros” which is the root of the word “clergy.” In other words, if you are a clergy person, that is your lot in life.
The church could save a lot of money and time by having search committees deliver three equivalent candidates. Then have a five-year-old child pick the name from a hat. Perhaps by doing that, we could give God more power than the people who vote.