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Disillusioned with the state of religion in state politics, Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators decided to usurp power by assassinating King James. On November 5th, 1605 Guy Fawkes was discovered with three dozen barrels of gunpowder under the halls of British Parliament. Summarily found guilty of treason, Fawkes and his co-conspirators were drawn and quartered.
One year later on November 5th, 1606, King James of England commissioned a sermon to immortalize Guy Fawkes’ treason. The sermon ends with the famous words,

“Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”

Since 1606 those words have stood as a reminder that treason is never forgotten.

Every four years Americans gather on the first Tuesday of November to elect politicians as our representatives. Voting often isn’t a choice of Jane over Bob, but rather anyone but Bob. Because of this, voting is often talked about as choosing the lesser of two evils; as choosing the candidate least likely to offend our morals and ideals. It’s a familiar experience, yet it’s often forgotten that choosing the lesser evil is still a choice for evil.

I used to think that voting for Christians was all I had to do. However, voting Christians into office is to ask them to betray either their Christian beliefs or at least part of the constituents who voted for them. To vote for war and betray their Christian principles or vote against war and betray their constituents. I can think of no better way to be a stumbling block to my fellow christian than to put them into a situation where betrayal is their only choice.

Voting is ultimately the prerogative of free individuals in democracies. Sadly, the truth of the Kingdom is lost in the hope of power that voting promises. Truth is, we are not American Citizens. We are Christians sojourning in America. Our baptism identifies us as servants of the King, not citizens of a democracy. As Christians sojourning, it is not our job to ensure history’s path by voting our brothers and sisters into power.

It’s been long assumed that Mamon means wealth, or the love of wealth. But I wonder if Mamon isn’t really power. Money equals power often enough. After all, the golden rule reminds us that those who have the gold make the rules. I wonder then if Christians can serve, or wield power and also serve God? Can we vote as Christians? If we must vote, if we must exercise our power should it not be in the Church? After all, shouldn’t the Church be the avatar of freedom to the oppressed, sight to the blind and food to the hungry? Yet we often elect our leaders based on their promises to these things. In voting we act as if God has not already given us more than we need to be his Kingdom here on Earth.

We have been told by pastors and politicians alike that voting is the right thing to do; that it allows us to have our say in Durham, Raleigh and Washington. We vote because we believe the government can accomplish something the Church can’t: Change. But the government is not God’s agent of grace. Indeed, the government’s bureaucracy is as likely to injure and oppress as it is to heal and free. So why not focus our time and energy, our emotion and spirits into transforming the Church?

More than 400 years ago, Guy Fawkes tried to show us that justice, hope and freedom are not just words to bandy about. Yet today he’s reviled as a radical for what he tried to do. Unlike Fawkes we don’t need gunpowder to express the impotence of power structures.
2000 years ago, one man showed us what it meant to see and live into the Kingdom of God even as he hung from a cross. Because of Him we need not try to bring about the Kingdom of God with our votes.
November 5th reminds us of treason against earthly kingdoms. Remember Remember this 7th of November, the voting treason and plot. I know of no reason why the voting treason should ever be forgot.