Tag Archives: partisan

Where is our faith?

01 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Politics, Theology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

For regular readers of my blog, you know that I have a long history of political activity.  I learned a great deal from those experiences and am grateful for that.  I also learned some things that make me glad I’m no longer in politics professionally.

Now that I’m in ministry, all that politics is brushed away, right?  Not.  Not even close.  In fact, in many ways, it’s much more difficult.  I have a fine line to walk when I preach and when I wear a collar publicly representing the church.

I’m not a big fan of pastors taking up partisan arms for a political party.  I can understand why some do, but I think it blurs the line of what we are.  Are we proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus or partisan political party?  Are we claiming that our faith is in Jesus, or in some politician in Washington, DC or another capitol?

This of course doesn’t mean faith and politics never intersect. I think that’s a big naive and dangerous too.  We are called to be in the world and call out injustice.  And often that happens in political ways.

When I see pastors that make excuses for politicians or political parties – for what they stand for, or the policies they promote – I have to wonder.  Are they a partisan preacher preaching the good news of political party with its vision for how the nation will look when the party has power?  I recently saw a video of a conservative pastor who was praising the current administration in Washington and made comparisons of the president’s leadership style with Jesus.  I’m not sure what that had to do with the preaching of the Good News, but I do know that it advanced the Gospel of the administration.

Likewise, I remember pastors equating the previous administration with Jesus too – labeling the president as a messiah-like figure.  Again, I’m not sure why that was necessary or how that promoted the kingdom of God.  It sounded more like the advancement of the kingdom of partisan political party.

Where does our faith lie?  Where is our hope?  If it is in Jesus, then partisan politics can be seen for what it is – secondary.  It is certainly not to be ignored.  But neither should we put all of our attention and energy to it either.  When we do that – when we obsess about politics and give it all of our attention, then we have made it into a god.

When our politics becomes the basis for our decision-making, when we feel the need to pay attention to every tweet and press conference and announcement from a politician or political party, when we believe that we will have a brighter future (almost heavenly) if only we fund a specific candidate and work to get them in office – then I have to wonder where our faith lies?  Where does our hope lie?  When politicians supposedly have all the answers to all of life’s questions and problems, then where is there room for mystery and faith?  What is the point of faith at all then?

Too often I have seen Christians who are well-meaning turn to partisan politics.  I get it.  I’ve been there.  Religion and politics are not very different at all.  Both offer a vision for the future – of what is possible.  Both deal with immaterial things.  Both offer a gospel message.  Both claim to be able to save people.

By all means, participate in politics.  It’s how we advance policies.  But be careful.  When politics becomes the center and the foundation for making decisions, for the way we live our life, for how we spend our money and attention, then know that we have just exchanged our faith in God with a faith in a broken humanity.

Searching for Messiah

05 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by in Politics, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to make the statement that it appears that our society is in search of a messiah figure.  Too often that ends up being a search in the political realm of life – a search for a political and/or partisan messiah who will save the nation/party/etc.

I also don’t think that this is anything new.  We’ve actually been doing this for some time.  I remember when Obama got elected and all the adulation for him, with some going so far as to call him a messiah.

But this isn’t even an American sin.  Go back through history, the search for messiah and the foisting it on a human is ancient.  Emperors of old were considered gods sent to save their people.  But only their people. Everyone else is an outsider and doesn’t deserve saving supposedly.  And of course, that person died and then the search for a new messiah began.  It’s the story of human history.  And yet we think this time it will be different.

Maybe part of the reason we do this is because we don’t want to recognize that the Messiah looks far different from what we want.

The Messiah who saves us isn’t interested in nationalism or America first.  Just like the Messiah wasn’t interested in Israel first or any other nation first.  The Messiah didn’t come to save just a select few people – the Messiah came to save all of creation.

The Messiah who saves isn’t interested in advancing a political party in the 21st century.  At some point, all of these political parties and entities will die off and be replaced with some other sin-filled party or entity.  The Messiah isn’t interested in seizing and holding onto power, something that political parties and politicians live for.

Instead, Messiah has a different agenda.  It’s an agenda that calls us into a new relationship – a changed relationship.  A new relationship with one another, with God, with creation, with ourselves.

So often we want change, but we want those “other” people to change to be just like us. We love hearing the Gospel, but we think that a call for repentance is a call for other people to radically reorient, not us.  However, Messiah invites us to change as well.  How can anything else change is it doesn’t start by changing us, changing our hearts and minds, and then changing what we do and how we do it.

We don’t start this change, God does.  We do however have the ability to respond.  We have been given that by the Spirit who guides us to a new life and new relationships.  How will we respond – with fear? by setting aside God in favor of a god we choose who will be more concerned with power and separation?  Will we hear God’s call and follow, or will we decide that we think we know a better way – a failed way, a way that has been tried through most of human history?

I pray that this generation responds differently.  I pray that I have the courage to respond when God calls me to ways that the world thinks are insane – to respond with love, mercy, forgiveness, and peace.  That is the way of Messiah.

 

Jesus’ politics

23 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by in Humanity, Politics, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Yesterday I introduced you to The Shadow of the Galilean by Gerd Theissen.  Here’s another snippet from the book.  It’s actually from the author writing to a friend who is reviewing his book, chapter by chapter.

Jesus expected radically changed political circumstances but did not expect that they would be brought about through political change. His aim was “political,” but it was to come about without politics.  God would realize this aim. And that meant that people were not to achieve this aim by treating others violently. Nor, however, were they to be completely passive.

(pg. 92)

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time you know that this paragraph caught my attention like a crazy man.  This may be, in my opinion, one of the best summations I have ever read on Jesus being political.

This is the separation between being political and being partisan.  Jesus was here to unfold the Kingdom of God, to bring out a new reality – a reality that has a new governance too.  He wasn’t here to do this through violence.  He wasn’t here to exchange one empire for another. He isn’t involved in our world to shift power between two faulty and failing political partisan forces who only care about power.

Jesus has a different aim.  And we are a part of it.  We participate in Jesus’ aim when we live out his call for us – to be peacemakers, to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute, to offer mercy, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, the visit the sick and imprisoned, to care for the widow and the orphan.  That’s Jesus’ political platform in a nutshell.

Why do people submit themselves to things they know they don’t like?

25 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by in Politics, Society, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Gods-Politics.jpg

Who do people who despise, can’t stand, and wouldn’t vote a political party candidate watch video and read articles about that candidate when they know they are going to just get upset?

This is not the same as reading an article from an opposing viewpoint with an open mind or a desire to understand how someone could come to support the other candidate.  Are they looking for something to find to confirm that they are right about the candidate?  But one piece of info is never enough – we need a daily hit of it apparently.  Or so it seems if you follow what people post on social media.

I wonder, it is because in a society in which there is only the dichotomy of left/right, right/wrong, what else could there be?  Christians carry a false belief that they have to change the government – where did that idea come from?  When did we mix up Jesus’ call to be Christians and serve our neighbors with our false belief that we had to change the culture to fit our beliefs?  It’s as if we have traded in the Good News with some idea of what good government is.  Have we traded the belief that salvation comes from Jesus in for a different faith – one that claims that our salvation comes from politicians and government?  That’s idolatry.

We spend so much time focused on fighting over partisan politics – at least here in the US we do anyway.  We spend great amounts of energy, effort, money, time, and attention over who’s in charge of the government and complaining about what the government is doing and not doing as if it is the government that is called by Jesus to carry out Christian discipleship.  Maybe we’ve forgotten something essential about Jesus and Christianity.  Jesus didn’t go and petition government.  Jesus went out and did stuff for his neighbors – in spite of government and long established cultural divides.  And he calls on us to go and do some important things too – like feed the hungry, visit those in prison, clothe the naked, visit the sick, journey with the outcasts of society.

Why are we so damn focused on government as if it is the most important thing in life?  What if we took just one hour from all the fighting over government and went out and did something that Jesus called us to do instead?  Just one hour.  Can we put our fighting aside?  Can we actually live like Christians for a just a short while?  Or are we only interested in having the label Christian so we can sit at our smart phones and computers so smugly pointing out how the other side is wrong.  That’s not what being a Christian is – that’s more like a modern-day Pharisee.

I find myself reading fewer and fewer partisan political posts and articles.  They are just more of the same rhetoric of a partisan political dogma that I reject.  My faith isn’t in government and politicians and political parties.  It’s in God.  Where is your faith and trust?

You might be a Christian political partisan loyalist if…

28 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Politics, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

236e3cb69848d575f417666c36ff8cbc

There’s an article by Kurt Willems that talks about Christian Nationalism.  It was written in 2012 and you might be surprised when you read it – it’s still very accurate.  In a way, he inspired his article.  His title is “You might be a Christian Nationalist if…”

I was thinking about this article the other day and I felt something was missing. As I scroll around social media, I figured it out.  There are a lot of Christians out there who claim loyalty to Christ, yet can’t seem to get past their partisan political party allegiances.  This is true for both major political parties in the US.

So here we go:

You might be a Christian political partisan loyalist if…

…you pay attention more to the speeches of the politicians rather than what they have done in the past or what their policies would actually do – not the rhetoric.

…you pay attention to the speeches and statements of politicians more than you spend time in the bible and/or praying.

…you can look past the contradictions or come up with excuses for your preferred candidates – there’s always a reason and an excuse to explain away what just happened.

…you have no problem demonizing your political opponents and then turn around and go to church and talk about peace, love, and forgiveness.

…you think the other party is evil. You might even think that your political opponents for for or are influenced by Satan.

…you believe that Jesus would be registered in your political party.

…you believe that your party is living out Christian values and beliefs.

…you can’t pray for your political opponents.

…you believe that having your political opponents in power is dangerous, yet have no concern what so ever with handing power over to the candidates in your own party so they can determine what money is spent on or how power is used.

…you believe that Christians are supposed to be concerned with which politician can save the nation.

…you speak of politicians in your party with Messianic words.

…you approach life from your political beliefs, rather than from your Christian beliefs.

…you think that Christianity and partisan politics have no conflict.

…you define neighbor as anyone in your political party.  Yet those in the opposing party are “them.”

I wonder, how would you finish the statement?  You might be a Christian political party loyalist if…

Thought experiment: Christians and politics edition

15 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in Politics, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

religion-and-politics

Every once in a while I like to play with some thought experiments.  Today is one of those days.  Play along with me, won’t you?

What if pastors all became non-partisans?  What if they detached themselves from the political parties of the country? No more being tapped by candidates for office to be part of their Evangelical outreach campaign?  No more being tapped by candidates for office to be part of their Mainline Protestant outreach campaign?

What if pastors just stopped listening and buying the rhetoric of either political party?

That might be easy to play with, poke holes in, etc.  Here’s a better one.  One that I can imagine will raise plenty of criticisms and objections.

What if all Christians became non-partisans?  Whoa.  Hold the phones a minute.  Did I just suggest something that many would think is unthinkable?  What if we collectively decided that partisan politics focused too much attention on asking “Who is my neighbor?” Who is on my side and who is on the other side?  Who is with us and who is against us?  You know – us vs. them.  What if Christians actually took what Jesus was saying in the Good Samaritan parable seriously and started being neighbors to those they disagree with (and maybe even hate) and those that they have been told are their enemies?  What if?  I wonder how politics would change.  I wonder how lives would change?

Let me clarify something because I can hear the wails and gnashing of teeth over these questions – I’m asking about party affiliation, not removing oneself from politics completely.  Those are two different things.

I wonder, maybe the thought experiment is reversed in it’s thinking.  I wonder, if Christians started being neighbors the way that Jesus calls us to be, would they leave partisan politics behind?  Not reject it, but see it as worthless maybe?  Or just not that important anymore?  Maybe not.  Would they see the message of partisan politics as a message of division and scapegoating?  Maybe being a neighbor would have more of an impact on how the nation and the world changed than worrying about which candidate won, what they were saying, who they were blaming, and who would “save” the nation.

Maybe.  I don’t know.  Or maybe I’m not being realistic here because this is the way it’s always been.  Except it hasn’t.  That’s the fun of playing with a thought experiment – you can come up with crazy ideas and play with them.

What if Christians took Jesus’ message seriously enough to actually believe that it is a life changing and world changing message?  I mean really bought into the idea – hook, line, and sinker – not just mouthed the words on Sunday in church.  I’m talking about about buying the message enough that your life is changed and so you change what you do, how you talk, how you act, etc.  I wonder what would happen if we spent as much time thinking about, tweeting, posting memes on social media, having discussions, debates, etc. about what Jesus said as we do with what the candidates say?  What would that look like?  What would our nation look like?  What would world look like?  I don’t know.  It’s never been tried before.  Could be better.  Could be worse I guess.  Might be just the same.

I wonder if Christians just stopped buying the empty partisan rhetoric that claims that a person in a specific office will bring salvation (or peace, or prosperity, or security, etc.) by destroying our enemies.  I wonder what it would look like and sound like if Christians just stopped believing the scapegoating rhetoric that partisan candidates and loyalists use.  I wonder what it would look like and sound like if Christians spent as much time, energy, effort, and money living out what Jesus called us to, rather than trying to get someone elected to office.

I wonder.

Do we actually believe?

08 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Church, Politics, Society, Theology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

We’ve entered a sad time.  I’m not just talking about the supposed choice of two very lacking candidates for office.   We’ve entered a time when we are openly angry, fearful, disrespectful and outraged at each other.  We’ve entered a time of us vs. them within our own society.  We’ve entered a time when we rationalize away pleasantness and respect because our opponents are enemies or worse.  I can’t tell you how many social media posts, bumper sticker, and conversations I have heard or seen where people are so openly disrespectful to one another – all in the name of being right.

Christians fighting over partisan politics – what happened to Christianity being our foundation?  Is partisan politics more important and a more important part of our identity than Christ?  Why would we trade in God for partisan politics?  So we can feel justified and right and righteous and better than those poor saps who are too stupid to know any better?  Are we turning into Pharisees?

Americans fighting over who will rule over them – Is party and candidate support more important and a more important part of our identity than country?  How long can a house divided last?  How long until we feel that rhetoric isn’t effective and we turn to something more “effective” to get our way?

People are pissed off at one another over so much – race, sexuality, government programs, campaigns, etc.  We’re so concerned with who has the right beliefs that we are willing to fight with ourselves over everything.  How long until we start offering damnation again?

This is not healthy.  As Christians, this is not what we are called to or who we are called to be.  We aren’t called to be right.  We aren’t called to point out the speck in our neighbor’s eye.  We aren’t called to rip apart another Christian or anyone else for that matter because their beliefs and opinions don’t line up with our own.  We are called to make disciples.  We are called to serve.  We are called to live out our beliefs, not hit others over the head with them.

We are called to lay anger and fear aside.  We are called to act like adults, not children fighting in a sand box.  Frankly, I’m tired of the ranting and the temper tantrums that I hear and see.  Enough already.  Enough.  Aren’t you tired of the anger that is seething from so many people and into your own life?   Aren’t you tired of being angry and offended?  Aren’t you tired of living in fear of other people?  Aren’t you tired of tearing down those who disagree with you?  Aren’t you tired of demonizing and insulting others who don’t see the world the way you do?  Aren’t you tired of always showing just how right you think you are?

I’m tired of it.  Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.  This constant fighting and bickering and always having to be right was the reason I left partisan politics as a career.  It drains the life out of you.

And yet it seems like there is no escape – it is like a black hole that sucks everything and everyone into its gravitational pull of fear and anger.  Enough already.

For the love of God, please stop.  For the love of country, please stop.  Instead of focusing on how wrong and bad and evil people who are not like you are, can we just for a moment to see their humanity?  Can we look past their beliefs to see them as a person?  Can we look past their skin color to see that they have the same anatomy as you?  Can we look past their sexuality to see that they too are children of God and part of creation?  Can we look past their politics to see that they are passionate because they care about the country just like you do and want to see the country do well, just like you do?  Can we look past religious differences to see that we worship the same God?  Can we look past the label we give them?  Can we?  Please?  I’m begging you.  For my own sanity and for everyone’s safety.  Where we are headed is not a good place to be.  Don’t blame it on God if we go there.  It’s our own sin of ego that will take us there.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.  We have the freedom to choose how we live and how we respond.  We can respond with belittling and insult when we feel insulted and belittled, or we can do what we are called to do – turn the other cheek.  We can offer violent rhetoric in response to violent rhetoric, or we can do what we are called to do – offer love and forgiveness and grace.  We can prove just how right we think we are, or we can show what we believe in how we live our lives and act towards others.

Believe me, it feels justified to respond to an insult and supposed attack by striking back.  It feels good.  It may even feel right at the time.  We were attacked after all – we have every right to respond in kind.  We have to defend ourselves.

But when does it end?  How can we expect the Kingdom of God to come if we remove ourselves from it or are actively blocking the Kingdom from coming?  How can we expect peace to come when we aren’t willing to take the first step and be the peacemaker?  How can we expect respect and love when we aren’t willing to be the ones to first offer respect and love to our enemies?

Jesus didn’t say love the people who love you.  He said to love your enemies.  This isn’t easy.  Following Christ isn’t easy – it’s really inconvenient to what we’d rather do.  Now would be a good time to start following Jesus command though.  Our enemies aren’t somewhere out there, somewhere in a foreign land who worship differently and speak a different language.  We have enemies right here in our own country – at least that is how we treat our fellow citizens.  Why don’t we start right here and right now?  Why don’t we start with the people who are supporting a different candidate for office?  Why don’t we start with people who practice a different religion, use a different language, have a different sexuality, are different than ourselves?

Why are we waiting for someone else to be the first to offer grace, love and forgiveness?  Do we think Jesus was talking to someone else?  Why not be the one who starts?  Why not be the one who takes Christ’s command seriously as if it were directed to you?  Yes you!  Why not be the one who actually puts their beliefs into action and shows people how transformative those beliefs truly are?

Or are you afraid of something?  Afraid that your beliefs are just hollow thoughts?  Are you afraid of losing control of your life?  Are you afraid that your life will be changed?  Here’s a hint – when you follow Christ, you do lose control of your life and your life will be changed.  Guaranteed.

We have a choice – We can live in fear and anger and be in control, or we can take a leap of faith, be out of control and live out the beliefs that we claim to hold dear and see how the world is transformed by Jesus.  What will it be?  It’s time to put up or shut up.

Integrity in partisan politics

08 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Humanity, Politics

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

This could be shortest blog post I’ve ever written.  I could have just written this statement after the title – “It’s a rare find.”  But I can’t just leave it at that.

The whole flap about Republicans who have endorsed Trump but are now complaining about his comments about the judge have caught my attention.

There are several Republicans who have even gone so far as to say that Trump’s comments are racist – people like House Speaker Paul Ryan.  I agree.

But here’s the thing – is this really the first thing that these people are upset concerning Trump?  If they were really upset, why don’t they do what most people would in a similar situation – rescind their endorsement of the guy.

I get it, they all have their political careers to look out for.  So they think they can get away with distancing themselves from specific statements, but still maintain their endorsement.  I wonder how many statements they’ll have to back away from statements before their endorsement will break.  What would it take for them to rescind their endorsement?  Clearly a racist comment won’t do it – I don’t see anyone backing away as they should.  And considering Trump’s other comments against just about everyone who isn’t like him on the planet, I’m not sure who’s left to insult.  And yet, there’s the endorsements.

I wonder if these lawmakers realize what an endorsement really is – it’s not just something you do to save your political skin.  It’s a statement that says “I support this person and what they stand for.”

Here’s my statement to the lawmakers who have endorsed Trump, but are upset by his comments – I can’t trust you or take you seriously.  Words are empty without action to back it up.  Put your money where you mouth is.  Put up or shut up.

As for Trump – Here was his statement to Sean Hannity regarding those that endorsed him who are railing against him:

“They can’t get over it,” Trump told Hannity. “So they have to get over it, ideally. As to whether or not they endorse me? It’s OK if they don’t. But they have to get over it. They shouldn’t be so angry for so long.”

For the candidate who has built his entire campaign based on tapping into the continuing anger of a segment of the public, isn’t it ironic that he would say that those who criticize him “shouldn’t be so angry for so long.” That would be great advice for his supporters, only he’ll never say that to them.  He needs them to be irrationally angry.

And no worries, this isn’t some kind of endorsement of Hillary.  The Democrats have plenty of challenges with integrity as well – enough for a book, or a multi-volume set.  Too much to go into in this blog post.  Most of their politicians wouldn’t know integrity if it came up and slapped them across the face.  I just couldn’t stand by and watch this specific example and not say something.

You want to know why people are upset – because they see through the veil and the fakeness of so many things going on in government and politics and they can only just shake their heads in disgust.  Where’s the integrity?  And yet, we are told we have to continue to support one or the other political party.  We’re told we have no choice, that not voting for one candidate is a vote for the other.  We’re told rhetoric that is based in fear and anger – get on board, or else!  We’re told that government and politics is the foundation of life and that everything comes down to these things.  We’re essentially told that these politicians are our saviors – that they will save the country.

We’re told a lot of things.  Most of it is bunk – rhetoric designed to make us compliant and do what we’re “supposed” to do.  Modern day politics has become a sort of really bad religion, one the Pharisee’s would have been proud of I’m fairly certain.

Want to change this?  Stop putting your faith in politicians and government and political parties.  They are flawed.  Stop putting your hope in people who are going to “save” the country.  Stop worshiping at the altar of partisan politics.

Life is so much better when we shift our faith and hope to an actual savior and to things that matter so much more.  Politics isn’t the end-all, be-all of life.  That statement is heresy to the religion of politics and government.

You want integrity in politics?  Then let’s shift politics to it’s rightful place, away from the most important thing in life.  Stop going to the rallies.  Stop parroting the rhetoric of candidates.  Stop donating.  Stop putting up signs.  Stop attacking political opponents.  Start demanding higher standards of our politicians.  Start voting for people you really believe in, rather than the lesser of two evils.  Live in integrity in your own life and encourage those around you to live in integrity.  Put your faith and hope where it belongs – in God.  That’s how anything changes – it has to start somewhere – why not start with you and I?

Maybe we’ve been wrong about church decline

29 Friday Apr 2016

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Politics, Sports, Theology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Maybe we’ve got the whole decline of church thing wrong.  Maybe we’re missing some essential elements.  Maybe some of the reason for decline in the organizational church in the US is something so much in front of our face and so ingrained in us that we don’t want to recognize it – it’s too painful and we know we would be guilty.  Or maybe it’s so prevalent that we don’t even recognize it because too many of us think its normal.

I’m talking about partisan politics in the church.  I don’t dare to propose that this is the end-all-be-all of why the church has a membership decline – far from it.  I am saying that I think this is a part of the problem though – something we don’t even talk about, much like we don’t talk about the problem of porn addiction or family financial struggles in church. It’s so much easier to talk about hunger in Africa or a drug problem on the other side of the country because those things are happening “over there” to “those people.”  This discussion requires us to look at ourselves in the mirror, which can be really scary and painful.

This isn’t just a conservative or liberal problem either – it’s both.  And it raises some important questions about and for the church.

But first, let’s identify what I’m talking about.  I’m talking about people who can’t sit with someone of a different party in church because of partisan politics.  I’m talking about entire denominations that put all their political eggs in one political party’s basket as if that party held the keys to the kingdom.  I’m talking about churches and denominations that are always supporting one political party’s candidates for office and overlooking the sins that these same parties and candidates commit.  I’m talking about pastors who preach partisan political ideas and praise seriously flawed politicians from the pulpit and wrap the Gospel around their message to make the Gospel fit the ideology.  I’m talking about Christians who place their hope in a political candidate in an almost Messiah-like fashion – someone who will save the nation.

These are some serious challenges for the church.  It comes down to what the purpose of the church is really about.

What is the foundation of our faith? Is it politics, ideology, and nationalism or theology, faith and the Kingdom?  Does your faith lead you to always align with one partisan political party?  Really?  Maybe you’re seeing what you want to see.

I wonder if we twist our faith to fit our ideology and politics, while we should be living out our faith individually and in community regardless of party alignment.  Our hope and salvation doesn’t rest in an elected politician or even in our own nation.  Who wins does not determine our salvation.  Nations come and go, and so will ours in it’s given time.  Future generations will judge this generation just as harsh as the current generation judges past generations.  Monuments to military and political figures will only remain for a short while – eventually they crumble and the names are mostly forgotten to history.  But it is God who remembers us, who holds us in God’s hand for eternity.

Our focus can be on building up a nation, making it strong and great, or living out our calling to be citizens of the Kingdom of God.

We put more energy, effort and zeal into building up a campaign and candidate and their gospel once every four years than we do in carrying out the Gospel that has been with us for 2000 years and a kingdom that is eternal.  We seem to be more concerned with the adjective that goes before Christian than we are with being a Christian.  We seem to give a pass to our preferred politicians when they make an error, yet have no trouble pointing out the speck in our opponents eyes for the smallest implied infraction.

Maybe these are some of the reasons people turn away from the church – because in some cases it’s becoming nothing more than an extension of our flawed political system based on earthly power and might, rather than the majesty and mystery of the kingdom of God.

If you want to change the nation, make it “great”, move it forward, implement a revolution, then start acting out our call as church.  That doesn’t mean we separate from society and politics.  It means that we engage fully, where the culture is.  We live as an example. We pray believing that prayer changes lives and the world.  We worship in order to be fed with the bread of life so we can go out to serve the world. We serve joyfully because we have been given so much.  We care for those society has abandoned.  We live our calling to teach and care and be stewards.  We don’t wait for someone else to do it.  We don’t wait for some elected official to rally us.  We don’t wait for Washington to pass a law.  We don’t wait for the Supreme Court to decide what’s right.  We live our calling and we infect the world with love, grace and peace.

We spend a great deal of time waving signs, attending speeches and rallies enthusiastically for candidates who offer us their version of hope for the nation. We spend more time, energy, effort, money and resources to fulfill the vision of a person running for office than we even attempt to fulfill God’s vision for the world.  Why is that?  Is God’s vision not nearly as exciting?  Is some politician’s vision that much better?

Or maybe we know something else deep down – That rallying to a politician is much easier.  It requires very little on our part – the politician is supposed to do the hard work, we are just supposed to benefit from it.  We get to claim the mantle of responsibility by voting and when the politician falls short, as they always do, then we can blame them for the failures of the country.

God’s vision is different.  God doesn’t require our vote to carry out God’s vision.  But God still equips us and gives us exactly what we need in order to respond and to be stewards of God’s vision.  That means we are responsible – not in order to gain God’s favor, but because of what God has already given us.

Responsibility is not fun or easy.  You can’t claim the mantle of victim when you are responsible.  You have to take up your cross and get to work.

The ironic thing about this year is that given the state of politics we are currently in, I’m finding it much easier to place my hope in God, rather than any politician and certainly in any political party.  I’m hearing Jesus’ Gospel message much clearer apart from the presidential candidates.  This year we are again seeing what partisan politics is about – A gospel that proclaims fighting for power, dividing, conquering, and fear.  All of the candidates proclaim this gospel ultimately because it’s a human gospel of power.  It’s a message that every king, ruler, and politician have always proclaimed – this shouldn’t be surprising, in the realm of politics, these people are the priest who proclaim the message, and protect the sacred sacraments of politics – money, privilege, and law.

My hope is in God and God’s vision for creation.  It is best stated in Revelation 21:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Preaching Politics

07 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Church, Politics, Theology

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

Maybe it’s because I’m in seminary, training and learning how to be a pastor.  Maybe it’s because of my background in politics.  Maybe it’s a combination of that and so many other things.  Here’s one thing that really bothers me – pastors who preach partisan politics.

It just rubs me wrong.  It feels manipulative.  It makes me question what Gospel a pastor is preaching.

There’s a difference between preaching politics and partisan politics.  Jesus was political – he made political statements all the time.  What he didn’t do was attach himself to a political party or movement and made their agenda what he preached.  He found fault in the political system that promised so much, but in reality was a big lie.

I’m reminded of something I experienced many years ago.  We were visiting friends one weekend and I went to church.  I listened to the pastor go on and on about how wonderful Sen. Ted Kennedy was.  He completely neglected to mention that the guy was responsible for the death of a woman.  Didn’t fit the agenda of making Kennedy into a saint I guess.  I came away from church being really ticked off and wondering why I went in the first place.  I didn’t go to hear a partisan political speech.  Why go to church just to get ticked off?

Here’s another one – when I worked at a food pantry, we attended a conference on how to improve the way to get more food to more people.  That’s a great focus.  And it is political.  One of the speakers, a pastor, decided that wasn’t good enough though.  He turned it into a political party rally, getting most of the participants caught up in emotional political rhetoric and using the Bible to make his points – cherry picking what supported his pre-established way of thinking.  He obviously didn’t consider the fact that there were some in the audience who were part of the opposing political party and had supported the politician he was slamming.  I came away really upset at the pastor and about the event.  I didn’t sign up to go to a political party rally.  It felt like the event was turning the people into an irrational mob.

That’s not what church is about – or not what it should be. It’s one thing to afflict the comfortable, it’s quite another to piss people off to the point that they don’t want to come back.

When pastors, or really anyone in authority, use their position to influence people into voting for certain candidates or political parties, then they just sound like anyone else.

If you are a pastor, you are called to preach the Gospel of Jesus.  When you send so much time advocating for a candidate or for a political party, then you are preaching a different Gospel – the gospel of political party.  The gospel of the Democrat or Republican party.

You can’t preach both the Gospel of Jesus and the Gospel of the Democrat or Republican party.  The two do not align.  Sure, there may be some policies that happen to match up, but the reason behind why they are preached is far different.

Jesus’ Gospel is a message of hope and empowering those without any hope.  The Democrat and Republican Gospels are a message of hope for those with power and those that are members of the party.  Their ultimate message is an us versus them message.  Jesus’ Gospel is that there is only us.  There is no them.