Mark 15:13-15

"They shouted back, 'Crucify him!'  Pilate asked them, 'Why, what evil has he done?'  But they shouted all the more, 'Crucify him!'  So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified."

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

In this critical election year, voter suppression is a major issue for many of us who are concerned about the current state of our democracy.  It is estimated that some 21 million Americans who voted in 2008 could be disenfranchised in 2012 by mandates for government-issued voter ID cards.  The fee for these voter ID cards amounts, in many states, to a poll tax, designed particularly to suppress the votes of seniors, college students, Latino Americans and African Americans.

The only thing worse, however, than voter suppression is voter apathy.  Those who have the right to vote, but renege on their responsibility to vote, do themselves and their communities a great disservice.  The first-century Roman province of Judea was by no means a paradigm of democracy, but in order to appease his subjects, Pilate, the Roman governor, put the fate of Jesus before the people in a public referendum.  The question on the ballot: "Shall I release to you Jesus or Barabbas?"  The popular vote went to Barabbas by a landslide.  There is no biblical record of one voice or vote in favor or Jesus.
 
With no long lines, no special ID required and no inconvenient hours, everyone was allowed a voice and a vote on Jesus.  What kept Jesus from receiving even one single recorded vote of support?  The mob frenzy of the crowd?  The intimidation of the religious rulers?  Or just the plain fear of taking an unpopular stand?

In a real sense, all of us have a vote whenever we are confronted with the ethical questions of life.  On certain critical matters, to abstain is to be morally irresponsible.  And even if we find ourselves against the grain of the popular mood, we must remember that history respects a dissenting vote far more than no vote at all.  It was Dante who said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain neutrality in times of moral crisis.  In the eyes of God every vote counts.

Prayer

God we thank you for the opportunities to determine the courses of life through our voices, our votes and our public stands.  Now give us courage to raise our voices and cast our votes.  Amen. 

About the Author Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

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