Post election blues?

How are you feeling now the election results are in?

Perhaps you’re just relieved that it’s all over: David Cameron has had his audience with the Queen and returned to Downing Street, having won an outright majority. No one thought it would be this simple. Pollsters and pundits predicted a hung parliament followed by hours—even days—of political wrangling. And now former LibDem leader Paddy Ashdown needs to eat his hat on live television.

The Conservative victory has surprised everyone: but that does not, by normal standards, make it particularly convincing. Although they’ve won a majority, it’s a slim one. Which means that not everyone’s happy. A quick glance down my Facebook newsfeed this morning shows many disgruntled friends. Here's a selection of reactions:

• people will regret this when they have to start paying for healthcare
• another five years of @£$%£! 
• That exit poll felt like a punch in the gut
• this is a sad day for working people

Meanwhile, spare a thought for UKIP—who though gaining 12% of the vote, won only 1 seat. It’s difficult to imagine Scotland’s hundreds of thousands of SNP voters being happy with Cameron’s premiership either. And it was hard not to feel sorry for Vince Cable, who looked particularly glum as he lost his seat in Twickenham.

But none of that really matters because at the end of the day (a very long one for those electoral candidates), David Cameron has had the right to form a government conferred upon him by the Queen. That’s all that matters now.

The emotion that should shine through
So I imagine that today you might be feeling anything from disappointed, to worried about the future, to ever-so-slightly-smug, to downright indifferent. But shining through all these, Christians should have a deep sense of confidence—because we can look forward to that last day, when Christ will come to perfectly rule his kingdom on earth. As we watch the post-election round-up, we can remember and be encouraged that there’s no question mark over whether Christ will amass enough popularity to establish his authority—because he’s already been given it by God the Father.

“Being found in appearance as a man,
[Christ] humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death –
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name
, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2 v 8-11)

No one will be left feeling disgruntled or hard done by under Jesus’ rule either. However we’ve “voted” in this life—whether we’ve given Christ the allegiance he deserves or not—every person will look at Jesus on that day and say: Wow. That man’s in charge. He’ll look more than prime-ministerial: He’ll look glorious.

And if we keep that day in view, it changes the way we feel on this day.

• If we’re feeling uncertain about the future, we can lift our eyes and rejoice that Christ’s reign is certain.
• If we’re feeling disappointed, we can remember that Christ’s rule will be supremely wonderful.
• If we’re feeling smug, we can remember that governments of any colour are temporary, and will pale in comparison to Christ’s eternal, righteous rule.
• And if we’re feeling indifferent, we can remember that while our vote might not have made much of a difference, how we serve King Jesus now does matter—because he has been exalted as King, and one day every knee will bow before him.