A post ran past my social media feed the other day pertaining to the 2024 Presidential election. The person who posted it is excited about the possibility of the nation’s first potential female president. Understandably, there is some excitement around the possibility of history being made once again with the first female person of color in the nation’s highest office; however, there are some issues with the post and photo above. Let me say up-front that those who are excited about this possibility must be careful to guard what they say and do because some actions may sabotage the effort.

the statement

First, let’s notice the statement in the image above: “On Tuesday, the waters will split and a woman will lead us FORWARD.” The imagery is not lost on Christians: The idea of the waters splitting and the image is a clear reference to the parting of the Red Sea mentioned in Exodus 14, where it says that God used an east wind to drive the waters back as a wall on the left and right of the Israelites (Exodus 14:21-23). This was a miracle, for the Israelites were surrounded by the Egyptians who had held them in bondage for over 400 years and had nowhere to go. Where could they go, standing at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh’s army behind them?

However, there are a few issues with the use of this miracle to refer to a presidential candidate. What are they?

The us presidential election is not miraculous

I have to be honest: the US presidential election is not a miracle. Granted, it is a privilege, and some people in some countries would sell everything they own to choose their leaders and not live their lives under dictators and dictatorships. And yet, elections themselves are not miraculous when you consider that in the US, we have elections at least every 2 years (congressional and local). When it comes to presidential elections, they are held once every 4 years. We are having a 2024 US Presidential Election, but we had one 4 years ago when President Joe Biden was elected in 2020, and when former President Donald Trump was elected in 2016. Our election model was drawn from the election models of other countries, even.

A miraculous act is something that is done by the divine that cannot be replicated by man. For example, the Virgin Birth of Scripture shows that God was able to bring forth a human child whose father was not an earthly man. Joseph was chosen to be Jesus’ earthly father/guardian, but Jesus was not Joseph’s biological Son. Scripture says that God the Father “so loved the world that HE gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

The Parting of the Red Sea, mentioned above and in Exodus 14, is miraculous. It was an act intentionally done by God that man cannot replicate. The text says Moses stretched out his hand, but it was God who prepared an east wind to raise the waters as a wall throughout the night. It was God’s doing, not Moses’. Moses simply did as God instructed him to do before the people.

Presidential elections are not done by the will of God directly, but due to the will of the people. That’s what a democracy is: a system where the will of the people rules. This is why even the US Constitution states that the power of the system is derived “from the consent of the governed” — that is, the people themselves (in this case, American citizens).

Christians often say that the results of the election are God’s will, but I challenge Christians to dig deeper to comprehend the meaning of such a statement. For, if elections are intentionally determined by God, then how do we explain corrupt leaders who end up serving in the nation’s highest offices? What about officials who make misguided decisions that negatively affect their constituents? God’s will is that free men (being all humanity) make choices. But exactly what those choices are cannot be placed at God’s feet. He is not responsible for our bad choices, any more than He is responsible for Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden.

The upcoming 2024 presidential election will be many things, but miraculous in the sense of it being God’s divine intentional will is not one of them.

kamala harris is not moses, tim walz is not aaron his brother

When you use a metaphor or analogy, you have to make sure it remains consistent throughout. The 2024 presidential election is not miraculous, and Kamala Harris is not Moses; Tim Walz is not Aaron (the brother of Moses). Kamala’s husband is Jewish, but Kamala is not. Tim Walz has not claimed Jewish roots, as far as I know. And even if they do, Kamala and Tim are not Moses and Aaron. They are different people, with different strengths and weaknesses, most likely. Kamala would tell you herself that she is neither Moses, Aaron, nor even Miriam their sister. She is Kamala, her own person, created to be who she is.

Kamala is not Moses. Tim Walz is not Aaron. America is not Israel, and President Joe Biden is not the “Pharaoh” of Egypt who has kept America in political bondage. And Donald Trump is not the evil Pharaoh who has kept us in bondage, despite what you may or may not think about the former President running again for the same political office. We are not in political bondage. Americans are blessed to live in one of the greatest (if not the greatest) countries on the globe. Other countries may be in bondage, but America is only in bondage to her isolation, her flaws, and her own prejudices and injustices.

If anything, President Joe Biden has been a great stable leader as President. We owe President Biden our thanks and gratitude for serving his country and rising to the call at a time when the country needed a stable hand. The latest information on job creation from CNN says that the same number of jobs have been created this year that former President Trump created over his entire 4 years in office.

Moses had his own unique circumstances under which God raised him up to deliver His people, and Kamala’s birth and life have not occurred under those same circumstances. God has a particular assignment(s) for Kamala, which makes her experiences different and unique from Moses’ (and vice versa). In the same vein, Aaron was neither Moses nor Miriam; Miriam was not Moses, even though she thought her role over God’s people was equal to Moses’ (see Numbers 12). And even though Moses was chosen for His task of shepherding the people of Israel and leading them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, even he had moments where he looked to God to help him in his overwhelming role (Numbers 11:10-15).

Kamala’s role as President, should she win the election, will be overwhelming in its own right because she will have to put the people above the political party that elected her. However, even so, Moses and Kamala are two different people with two different roles. And, while God selected Moses as the one to lead God’s people (God appeared to Moses personally, see Exodus ), Kamala was chosen as a presidential candidate because 1) she was Vice President to President Joe Biden and 2) she was chosen by her political party. The Democratic Party selected Kamala; God selected Moses. Kamala was selected due to the will of the people (her political party); Moses was selected due to the direct, intentional will of God Himself.

sacrilegious: How the poster and the caption could alienate christian democrats

Some may find it hard to believe, but there is a subgroup of the voting population that calls themselves “Christian Democrats.” They believe their faith influences their Democratic Party affiliation and how they vote in even presidential elections. A poster like the one above of Moses and the Red Sea parting could lead to the alienation and disgust of Christian Democrats who want to vote for Kamala. No matter the party affiliation, there are Christians who view divine miracles as sacred, in the same way they view life as sacred — and they do not take kindly to having Kamala be labeled as a New Moses.

The Gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus as the New Moses, and Christian Democrats who read their Bibles cannot see anyone else, including their favorite presidential candidate, labeled as such. To them, it is SACRELIGIOUS. It is in violation of God’s holy law to label someone else Moses other than Moses himself and Jesus.

And so, while they appreciate and respect Kamala for her role in history, they do not want to see the Bible used in political discussion in this manner. Making metaphors out of Scripture for political candidates is a direct violation of the concept of the separation of church and state. I am a Christian who believes that the Bible should not be used to exclude candidates from political office. And if you think my view is sacrilegious, ask yourself this question: where in the Bible does it say to do good only to those who are Christian and/or believe like you?

The Bible is not used to select or exclude political candidates because, despite the dictates of any man’s conscience, government should look like the people it governs: that is, every race, religion, creed, etc., should be represented among its leadership. How can America tax its Buddhist or Jewish citizens, for example, if it doesn’t allow Buddhists and Jews to serve in its highest political offices or even allow them the opportunity to serve?

I think that if these types of statements are made in discussions among Christians for example, that is another thing. But at 40, I am convinced that too many statements are made on Facebook and other social media that should be kept private anyway. This poster is one of them. This should have been a private poster kept among fellow Christians who are Democrat-leaning. The fact that it went public is what has prompted this public response. I still would disagree with it even if it were private, but at least I could have greater respect for it had it been a private discussion and not a public post.

Democrats would like to retain the White House control for another 4 years. The last thing they should want to do is alienate a part of the voting base. So with that said, I think the poster above with Kamala and the Red Sea is just in bad taste, to be honest. Sadly, some Republicans will turn around and use the poster above and say, “this is why Christians should vote Republican…because Democrats are just godless and have no respect for the Bible.”

And with the poster and Kamala statement above, it would be hard to disagree with the Republican logic. Thanks be to God, I think for myself and don’t let posters in bad taste sway me in one direction or the other. But some do not think this way, unfortunately.

don’t let zeal get the best of you

To the poster who posted the caption and photo above, and to others who would approve of such a decision, let me say this: don’t let zeal get the best of you. It is okay to be excited about history in the making. Kamala could definitely make history as the first black female President of this American democratic experiment in its entire history up to now; she has already made US History as the first female Vice President. Her ascendance to the presidency would be something to celebrate indeed; however, please celebrate it with class, dignity, and good ‘ole common sense.

Christian Democrats can contemplate a win for Kamala and celebrate it without comparing her to Moses, Jesus, or even the AntiChrist, as some Republicans are doing on social media heading into Election Tuesday 2024. These same Republicans made the same statement about former President Barack Obama, who still remains one of the classiest, most dignified Democratic Presidents this country has seen yet.

Neither Barack Obama nor Kamala are the AntiChrist; they are good people who are human and imperfect, as are we all. And yet, Obama did good in his presidency; Kamala will do some good in hers if she wins Election Tuesday. And yet, both of them are human; Kamala will make some mistakes, as Obama did. We all make mistakes, but we wouldn’t call ourselves AntiChrist, would we? So if we won’t call ourselves AntiChrist, why would Republicans use this label for a Democratic candidate for President simply because they disagree with their political policies?

There is a way to celebrate what Kamala could achieve and to honor Christians who have voted for her and will vote for her. The poster above was in bad taste, but I thank God for grace. No matter the mistakes we make, today (and tomorrow) are God-given chances to start all over again. God’s grace and mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness to us (Lamentations 3:22-23).