Leonid Padun: "Elections. Afterword"
4 November 2012
Parliamentary elections in Ukraine were completed. Someone is celebrating a victory, someone is disappointed, some already beginning to criticize the future power. And some still do not care what happens outside of his or her apartment – according to statistics, the turnout this time was lower than in all of the previous elections in the history of independent Ukraine.
Regardless the outcome, it is safe to say that any choice a nation makes is a reflection of its internal morale.
No choice – no freedom
Someone might say, “I can no longer hear about politics, why are we talking about the elections again?”.
Of course, the word “elections” is often associated with the politics, but “the choice” is something that accompanies us all our lives. Who we are today, what we have and where we are today – all of this is the result of the choices we have made. First, we make a choice and then reap its fruits.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2:15-17).
These were the first “elections” in the history of mankind. In the Garden of Eden God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that Adam and Eve could make their own choices: to stay with God or to lose Him.
The fruit of this choice mankind reaps until the day and many are outraged: “If God had not created the tree, the man would not have eaten the forbidden fruit” etc. Only people with a slave mentality who do not need a choice have such an argument. They only do what they are told to do. But when there is no choice – there is no freedom.
“The tree of knowledge of good and evil” has not lost its relevance today. Every day we have to choose between good and evil, between good and bad, between morality and immorality, because God creates free people. Free people choose their own path, decide for themselves who to follow and who – not, what to do and what not to do.
Unfortunately, many people refuse to choose anything, holding the position of “none of my business”. But indifference is also a choice. “I am for no one” – is a self-deception. Do not choose means you willingly give your own fate and the future of your children into the hands of strangers, and you will also have to answer for such a choice.
Responsibility for choices
God created man a moral being. Unlike animals people know the difference between right and wrong and are responsible for their choices and actions. Very few people like it. People accuse politicians of theft and immorality, but what about the morale of the people, the society in which we live?
Recently I attended a football game at a stadium. I like football and whenever possible, I try to see interesting matches. But a negative experience like the one we had this time, I have never had before. “Fans” who sat next to me behaved themselves so immoral that it went beyond all limits of decency.
I was at the football game with my younger son and when I reprimanded them, these people who have been driven to fanaticism, were ready to tear us apart! Staff and “guards”, set to answer for the lives and safety of people, showed complete indifference, so we had to just walk away from the stadium.
I like football, but I will never agree with the madness and fanaticism, which bring people to hysteria!
What we often see in the political world is a reflection of the internal state of people. People themselves choose sin, immorality, wickedness and then blame everyone but themselves. Jesus said: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). But many continue to live in illusions: choosing evil they expect good from it. Others tacitly agree with everything that is happening.
At God’s judgment each will have to respond for their choices, for their actions, including their indifference. No one will be able to pay off. Rich friends and family ties would not help. The person will answer before God, who sees and knows everything, for every action and every word. For the right choice follows reward, for the wrong choice follows retribution.
“Elections” happen in our life every day and God said in His Word: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). The choice is ours.
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