As we fight, scratch, claw, bicker, argue, and yell hoping “our” candidate wins the election, these words of wisdom from today’s Bruderhof Daily Dig provide much-needed perspective:

A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them, “In every life there is a terrible fight – a fight between two wolves. One is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, and deceit. The other is good: joy, serenity, humility, confidence, generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion.” A child asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” The elder looked him in the eye. “The one you feed.”

Does this mean the election is unimportant? No. But it does mean that regardless which candidate is sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in January, our responsibility is the same: to feed the good wolf, not the bad. Politics (not just election-season politics, but all politics at all times) always feeds the bad wolf, and therein lies Jesus’ wisdom in denying the pressure to establish an earthly (political) kingdom, but establishing the kingdom of God to rule our lives and our relationships.

More than a citizen of the United States (though I’m proud to be one), I’m a citizen of the kingdom of God, an absolutely unique kingdom that transcends all political parties and all national borders.