I find it fascinating during this election cycle at just how much religion has come into play. In the interest of courting the "religious" vote, all the candidates seem to have suddenly gotten serious about their faith. From Romney's recent discussion about his Morman beliefs to Huckabee's lighted cross-like pane behind his Christmas message to Clinton's claim of a vibrant prayer life that has gotten her through rough times--everyone seems to have gotten religion.

It's not for you or me to judge the seriousness of any of their faith claims. It is for you and me, however, to judge the seriousness of our own. Just how persuaded are we these days?

To be "persuaded" means to be convinced. Of the many examples of convincing persuasion found in Scripture, Luke was among the greatest. That third book in the New Testament contains the clearest account of Jesus' birth (Luke 2), but it also contains a vivid demonstration of Luke's persuasion that Christianity is the only way for all men and women. His persuasion comes through in every verse.

Dr. Luke wrote about Christianity--not as one of many speculative sytems searching for theological or ethical certainty or accuracy. Instead, he gave his eyewitness account of Jesus' birth and ministry. He simply stated the facts. From Simeon's song praising Jesus as "a light . . . to the Gentiles" (2:32) to the risen Lord's commission to preach "to all nations" (24:47), Luke stresses the fact that Jesus is not merely the Jewish Deliverer, but the Savior of the entire world.

Talk about inclusive. Luke doesn't write about Jesus' condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt. 23). He also doesn't teach of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that centered around Jewish law (Mt. 5:21-48). Luke excludes Jesus' instruction to the disciples to refrain from ministering to the Gentiles and Samaritans.

What Luke does do is highlight universality. He sets the birth of Jesus in a Roman context (2:1-2; 3:1), pointing out that what he records is applicable to all people. While Matthew traces Jesus' ancestry from Abraham, Luke follows it back to Adam, connecting the Lord to the entire human race. Luke includes material not found in the other Gospels, where Jesus reached out to the unlikely (Pharisee and sinful woman 7:36-50; parables of lost coin and son 15:1-32). And in the key verse in Luke's Gospel (19:10), we read that Jesus "has come to seek and save that which was lost." That makes Him Lord of everyone.

We'd all be wise to learn from Luke's example, to mimic his persuasion. It starts with our own persuasion--the settled issue that He's not only everyone's Lord, He's our Lord. But the persuaded life is not meant to be kept quiet. We're to wisely share it with every person we meet, either in spoken or unspoken ways. And they'll listen when, like Luke, we connect Christ's message with their world. When we offer the hope of Jesus into their hopeless situations. That's when they'll listen, and once we get their attention, God works on their hearts.

In a world of uncertainty and anything-goes, they're looking. In a world of diversity and multi-culturalism, they're listening. In a world of "whose values?", they're watching. It's our chance to make a difference. It starts with being persuaded, and it ends with doing the persuasion. It was Luke's turn then, it's our turn now.

I just wish our candidates would do the same.