Faith, Politics and Impeachment

Please know as you begin to read this blog that it has the potential to be frustrating, irritating, and downright maddening for some. Not everyone will read this blog with the intended care and concern that I have tried to share. I recognize that some will read this and immediately see a political slant. Please know that is not the desired direction of this blog. I am confident that some will find this offensive.

My desire is to share what I observe within the church when it comes to political discussions. I am deeply bothered and concerned by what I continue to read, observe, and hear. My goal is simply to reflect on what I see taking place.

The other day I read a post regarding the impeachment proceedings that was shared by a Christian friend I deeply respect. He is a man who willingly and openly shares thoughts and ideas that challenge the evangelical Christian norm. His work, bravery, and wisdom are things I admire. He is a good man who is making a difference in the world in places where others would never go. 

The interesting (or sad) thing was not his post or his political views. I personally thought that he did a great job sharing his thoughts and views in a non-bias and non-confrontational way, but the responses he received were some of the ugliest I have read. The unfortunate thing is that many of the ugly responses came from the evangelical church. They came from people I know and names I recognize. The hundreds of responses written (not all but many) were done in ways that were demeaning and degrading (my opinion).

All of this got me thinking…

Can the evangelical church no longer make space for differing ideas and views?

I grew up in a family where we had both republicans and democrats. My extended family had individuals who spoke openly and passionately for both parties. Yet they always did so with respect and care. I never once heard any of it become personal. As a kid I didn’t realize how unique those conversations really were, but today I realize that they are very rare. Few individuals, homes, and churches can openly discuss the politics of our day without it becoming venomous and ugly.

Today it seems as if such a conversation could seldom take place in the church or most of our homes. We are no longer willing to listen, consider, and make space for differing views and ideas. It has all become SO personal. We have, for some reason, chosen to see our lives and relationships primarily through a political lens.

It appears that much, if not most, of the evangelical church is defined primarily by political parties.

This, for me, has been seen most clearly in the evangelical church where political lines have been drawn and defined in such a way that anyone who disagrees or thinks differently is clearly not Christian.

I have had more than one evangelical Christian tell me that there is only one way that a true Christian can vote. It seems as if this statement is made with the idea that God aligns himself with a specific political party and politician. To vote any other way is a sin and clearly not in alignment with the kingdom of God.

While some may see things this way, I do not believe that one party represents the kingdom of God while the other represents all that is wrong with the world. They each have elements, ideas, and platforms that as a Christian I agree with and struggle with. Neither of them appears to be a perfect or a clear representation of God and His kingdom.

For much of the evangelical church the ends justify the means.

This is the one that bothers me the most. It appears that how one behaves, speaks, engages, or describes another is ok as long as it serves my particular political purpose or end. There was a time when the evangelical church would have cared about how others were treated, described, and represented both publicly and privately.

Today we will allow our leaders, friends, and family (both church and political) to say, write, post, and tweet whatever they choose as long as it advances our political cause. We will defend whatever is written or said by simply stating that others have done it before. We will justify the demeaning, degrading and dehumanizing statements by our leaders by stating that our elected leaders are not perfect.

I’m sorry, but this can’t be right. At some point we as Christians need to choose love and kindness. We can’t really believe that these words and actions are appropriate simply because they serve our political purpose? That can’t be what Christ means when He instructs us to love and pray for our enemies?

Rights vs. Responsibilities

This one is extremely interesting to me and appears to be very deceptive for many.  I often hear evangelical Christians declaring their rights as Americans and stating that their rights have been ordained by God. Yet I find that many of the things that we declare as our rights (voting, guns, etc.) are not really God given or stated scripturally. They are simply rights given by the fathers of the country.  

Perhaps God’s greatest concern is not my rights, but instead my responsibility to those around me. Perhaps God is more concerned with the orphaned, widowed, stranger, immigrant, hungry, homeless, hurting, injured, and even His creation than He is with my rights. Maybe my focus should be on fulfilling my responsibilities as a Christian than defending my rights as an American.

I always wonder, when did the evangelical church come to believe that the best way to change the world was through political means?

When did we come to believe that the best way to change the world was by simply electing the “right” person, or getting the “right” individual in office, or on the bench? I may be wrong, but I believe the first century church changed the world without Cesar ever giving them the right to vote. They (the first century church) simply lived lives transformed by God serving those around them.

When did we choose to believe that passing laws would force others to behave and live as we want them to? When did we come to the conclusion that legislating our political views would change lives for the better? I know and recognize that elements of our legislative system are built on Judeo Christian ethics, but has that transformed our world into a true reflection of God’s kingdom?

Perhaps there is a better way to change the world than through our narrowly defined political platforms and laws. Perhaps when we were instructed to pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” Christ didn’t have the democratic republican system and process we use today in mind.

Final Thoughts

If you have made it this far in this particular blog post, I hope you have seen that I am not one who associates myself with either party. I have voted for both republican and democrat alike, and I do not believe that either party truly represents the kingdom of God. They both have very clear flaws that are antithetical to the kingdom and yet have elements that speak to what I believe God is calling me to be.

So how do we respond to moments like these in the history of our country? We intentionally and graciously pray for each other. We purposefully and willingly listen to each other. We speak carefully and generously of everyone, and we choose to love even those who do not vote or see the world as we do.

As always, thanks for joining us on the journey.