Polycarp and the Presidency

I awoke this morning to discover two things.

The first thing was confirmation that Donald Trump is going to be the next President of the United States.

The second thing I found was my Facebook Newsfeed in a state of practical hysteria.

To lay my cards on the table, while I have not supported Hillary Clinton, I have also not been much of a fan of Donald Trump either. I was more than a little suspicious of his claim to being pro-life and, like many people, I was rather disturbed by some of the words which came out of his mouth on a range of subjects.

But what can I say? That’s democracy! Whether you like it or not, the American people have spoken and, despite the many celebrity endourcements of Hillary Clinton, the American people have chosen Donald Trump.

States of Uncertainty

I think it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of uncertainty around at the moment. Judging from my Facebook feed, those who voted Democrat are waiting to see whether the States will first fall into financial meltdown and then into thermo-nuclear war, or the other way around. However, I’m pretty sure that many who voted Republican are also nervous, waiting to see whether the President Elect will follow through on his promises and whether or not this political gamble will ultimately pay off.

How should people of Faith respond to times of fear and uncertainty, particularly when this flows from the political situation in which they live? Being a lover of Church History, I can’t help but look back to the Early Church for answers, and to one of my favourite Early Church Fathers, St. Polycarp.

A Lesson from Smyrna

St. Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna in the early Second Century and a man who was martyred for the Faith. We have a full account of his heroic martyrdom embedded in a letter from the good Bishop’s former congregation to the Church at nearby city of Philomelium. In Chapter 21, the writer of the letter, Evarestus, gives us the date of Polycarp’s martyrdom, but describes it in such a way that it reveals a lot about how the nascient Church at Smyrna viewed the world:

Blessed Polycarp’s martyrdom was on 22nd February…
He was taken by Herod,
Philip the Trallian being high priest,
Statius Quadratus being proconsul,
but Jesus Christ being King forever – to whom be glory, honour, majesty,
      and an everlasting throne, from generation to generation. Amen.
– The Martyrdom of Polycarp, Chapter 21

Evarestus goes to great lengths to situate the circumstances of Polycarp’s death, identifying all the figures in power at the time of his martyrdom: the Chief of Police, the High Priest and Proconsul. My Eastern Orthodox friend, Myles, commented on this passage, saying:

“So much detail to place the time in which this all happened. Name dropping the authorities who were in power, yet who is king?” 

Indeed. Who is King? Evarestus looks past the current situation and all these earthly figures of power, to the one ultimately in charge, Jesus.

Our Blessed Hope

Christians should do everything they can to be responsible citizens, to nurture the public good, to vote, to run for office and to bring salt and light to the world around them. However, regardless of the political climate of the time, whether it is favourable or hostile, whether blessing or tragedy befalls the Church, the Christian has joy. The entire world may be afraid and fearful, but the Christian has hope and, as Pope Benedict wrote in his encyclical Spe Salvi, “The one who has hope lives differently”. The Christian looks beyond the immediate situation, raising his eyes from the earthly circumstances of this world and towards the King with “an everlasting throne”. No matter who is president, Christ is King.

And if that doesn’t cheer you up, at least there’s the happy thought that Miley Cyrus promised to leave the country if Hillary Clinton lost. So at least that’s something… 🙂