If I could describe my experience engaging in politics in one word, it would be “disillusionment.”
That shouldn’t be surprising when the amount of misconduct of political figures in the news is taken into account. Roy Moore, an advocate for Christian theocracy by day, an alleged sexual predator of fourteen year old girls when the cameras aren’t rolling. My state senator, Al Franken, the latest in the ever lengthening list. That’s not where my disillusionment comes from, though. I have always known we live in a sin-saturated world. the power dynamics and abuse today aren’t really far removed from the sin recorded over and over in the Old testament.
My disillusionment comes from the church’s response- the response that I see plastered across Facebook and written in chalk on the prayer request wall at my local Christina coffee shop. In summary: pray for my political agenda. the candidate that’s going to single-handedly end abortion, change public opinion and end gay marriage, and protect us from needing to have any contact with a depraved and sinful world. This all at the expense of everything else: integrity, love, the Gospel going forward.
In our battle to be right, in our battle to win power and influence and political clout, we’ve lost sight of the point, lost sight of the cross, lost sight of God’s heart for the world that he created. So what needs to change? it’s not a change in ideology that’s needed, regardless of what your ideology is, so much as a change in focus. Inasmuch as I believe in a separation of church and state, there is an undeniable moral code that comes from my faith, and government, at its core, is a moral code. I believe in human dignity because every person on Earth was knit together by God and made in his image. Because of that, I am pro-life. I’m also pro-immigration and against the death penalty because I cannot, in good conscience, condemn someone made in God’s image to Hell by limiting their lives and opportunities to hear the gospel.
But, though my political opinions are linked to a moral code that, for me, comes from the Bible, my hope for my country is not in my government or any other worldly institution. Again, it’s a mistake that isn’t new to Americans or the 21st century. Israel was waiting for a Messiah that would come as a conquering king, that would wipe out the sinful government that was persecuting them. What they got instead was Jesus, an itinerant preacher that was as likely to spend time with children and prostitutes as he was with influencers. He wasn’t worried about the politics of the time or the structure of the government. he knew God was bigger and when Caesar decreed babies should be killed, Mary and Joseph went to Egypt and waited out the situation rather than confronting it directly. It’s the same answer God gave Habakkuk when he questioned why an evil nation like Babylon was allowed to prosper- the just shall live by faith. My hope is in the power and timing of a God that allows nations to rise and fall, not in the ideologies or integrity of any elected official or legislation.
That hope also comes with the understanding that voting for political ideologies won’t change the world in any way that counts. Political change can’t move hearts to change. It has to be the other way around. And heart change is far more grassroots than that. From the beginning of time, following God was a choice He gave mankind. A choice for a relationship. that is the goal and the aim of the church, and it isn’t something that can be mandated by moral law. So why do we cling to these things rather than clinging to our Savior?
Let me be clear. I think it’s important to be involved in politics. It’s an opportunity entrusted to us that we need to steward. but that involvement needs to start with the mindset of being citizens of heaven first, and oftentimes that means turning the other cheek.
So how should faith intersect with politics?
- Pray for elected officials. God uses prayers and works through them, and he’s the One ultimately in control.
- Listen to people with differing viewpoints. It’s a way to meet people where they’re at and show them love. And you may learn something about where they’re coming from.
- Don’t overlook lapses in integrity. If you’ve spoken out for an official’s politics, you need to be able to acknowledge the shortfalls. If you find yourself justifying your politicians misdeeds because somebody from the other side also acted reprehensibly, that’s not okay.
- Work to tangibly solve problems. Posting your political views on Facebook, while it gives you a voice, does not tangibly solve the problems you see that are behind your political stances. Against abortion? Give to and volunteer at pro-life clinics and adoption assistance programs. Provide alternatives to the reality that you want to see changed.
Faith and politics are both essential parts of the Christian life. That means we need to know how to let them intersect in a way that is honoring to God and reflecting Him to a lost world. That is a tall order and a complex puzzle. Fortunately, we are not left on our own in maneuvering through the obstacles. We need to remember that.
