It was really encouraging to see that the youngest, black legislator in the United States has openly declared himself  a “Christian conservative.”

With 60.3% of the vote, Caleb Hanna easily won a seat in West Virginia’s state legislature, also called the House of Delegates, defeating Dana Lynch, the Democratic incumbent.

Hanna actually won the Republican nomination when he was just 18 years old while still in high school and then won his seat in the legislature at age 19. As a legislator he plans to continue his schooling as he works towards a degree in economics.

He is unabashedly pro-life, supporting the unborn and was endorsed by West Virginia for Life, the state’s pro-life group. He attends Little Laurel Baptist Church and was an active part of his high school’s Christian youth group.

During his campaign, Hanna told voters that not only did he support the 2nd amendment and the right to arms he said:

“I will be a passionate, effective and conservative fighter for limited government, economic growth and the Constitution.”

What really caught my attention is his support for limited government. It is interesting because I believe God understood the problems inherent in government. Initially God wanted to rule Israel through the prophets which would result in a very limited form of government. There would be a minimal or almost non-existent bureaucracy

But when Israel demanded a king like the nations around them, God warned that kings would bring an increase in bureaucracy and along with it an ever increasing demand for taxes. The people would essentially become the servants of governments as Samuel points out in verse 17

^“12 He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots…. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants…. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.  (1 Samuel 8:12, 14-15 and 17 NASV).

Now clearly democracies are easily the best form of governments but even with them we see bureaucracies growing and along with that comes an increasing demand for more taxes.

I know it is hard today to envision ourselves as the servants of government, but in Canada the Fraser Institute has instituted what it called  Tax Freedom day.

Tax Freedom Day is the day in the year, when people have paid all their taxes and finally started working for themselves. In 2018, Tax Freedom Day in Canada fell on June 10, 2018. This means from January 1, 2018 to June 9, 2018, we worked just to pay our taxes.

On average 43.4% of a Canadian’s income went to pay taxes to the various levels of government, which begs the question is the government working for us or are we working for the government?

So when Hanna says he supports limited government, I believe this is what God wants for us.

It is curious to also know that President Obama was both Hanna’s inspiration to enter politics and as well a major influence on Hanna’s politics. When he was in the third grade watching President Obama. Hanna thought “I can do that.” Then when his dad lost his job in the mines because of Obama’s policies, Hanna realized Obama’s politics were bad for the US.

Hanna hopes to eventually move into Federal politics and if God leads you, please pray for him.

Sources:

• Youngest black legislator in US is pro-life and pro-God: Lifesitenews.com
• America’s youngest black legislator Caleb Hanna: Pro-life, Pro-God and Pro-Wall: Breitbart