Apprentice2Jesus
Ramblings of a Confessing Pentecostal
Archive for the category “Politics”
Immigrants and Strangers
As James K.A. Smith would say in his book, Desiring the Kingdom, everything calls for allegiance. All of life has liturgies all around. Which liturgy will call out for our allegiance and we will respond?
We are in the thick of political season in the U.S. Let’s face it, as long as there is a media and as long as there are lobbyists and politicians, we are always in the thick of political season. It’s the only way to fill up a 24 hour news cycle.
And in this season we are once again hearing the calls of allegiance to one party or the other. Certainly on the extremes are those who say voting for one party is actually voting against God. (This is on the right AND the left.)
Political parties call for allegiances. Every election cycle the fate our nation hangs precariously in the balance and if we don’t vote correctly (insert your party beliefs here), America will blow up. (And so it has gone for over 250 years.)
Christians in America play this game. We play and get played. For all the frothing about evangelicals being in the back pockets of Republicans, there is simply the same to be said in the other direction as well. On the extreme left or right we really act like the government is our own little theocracy. We want to the government (which is secular) to act like the Kingdom of God. On both extremes, if one is willing to admit it, that would equate the president as pope or bishop. Since neither extreme is willing to admit that, we cloak it in more “righteous” terms.
This is not some plea to NOT be involved in voting or your duty as a citizen. It IS a plea, as believers, for us to continually evaluate our allegiances. We need to be reminded more than ever that our citizenship is in a different place. As such, we need to pick up the signals from the Kingdom we should be serving.
11 Dear friends, since you are immigrants and strangers in the world, I urge that you avoid worldly desires that wage war against your lives. (1 Pet. 2:11, CEB)
The liturgy of political games is a strong liturgy. The liturgy of consumerism and materialism is a strong liturgy. We have strong liturgies all around us.
Which liturgy will win your allegiance?
Willing to Yield
My wish for the political season as it kicks off: Everyone running for office needs to read the Book of James.
Knowing that will not happen, I am still struck by the words compared to the political arena.
17 What of the wisdom from above? First, it is pure, and then peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair, and genuine.18 Those who make peace sow the seeds of justice by their peaceful acts. (James 3:17-18, CEB)
The Common English Bible puts a phrase like this, “filled with mercy and good actions.”
In the NIV one word translated “submissive” also means willing to yield.
It’s not just for politicians. It’s for all of us. If I am walking in wisdom from above, I know I don’t have to always be “right.” In fact, I need to quit faking that others are “right” when I know I’m right! 
Am I willing to yield? Am I filled with mercy and good actions?
Let me revise my beginning statement: ONLY politicians should read the Book of James! (That gets me off the hook.)
Preaching the Prophetic or Preaching the Politics?
Today seems to be a day where a bunch of preachers are going to “climb into their pulpits” and brazenly give their political views. First of all, not too many conservative evangelicals (and that is what they are talking about in this story) “climb into pulpits.” They kind of dance onto a stage, I think. Well, “dance” may not be the right word… but I digress.
As I read this article (and cringe), I am reminded of a saying:
The preaching of the gospel is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Whether it’s a “liberal” church allowing a Democrat office holder to take the pulpit, or a “conservative” church allowing some Tea Party politician to take control of the stage, it is dangerous territory.
The Church, on either side, will have lost its true prophetic voice when that happens.
I honestly don’t care one way or the other what the position of the IRS is on tax status. The Church does not serve the IRS. But the Church shouldn’t serve the Republicans or the Democrats, either.
The Broken (and Rich) Political System
Chuck Colson’s article is well worth reading.
I remember during the second bailout a couple of years ago joking around with someone. He asked, “When will I get my share of this bailout?”
I replied, “Well, let’s do the math. Did you give huge boatloads of money to either political party?”
“No,” he replied.
“Then you get nothing. That was easy, right?”
The President’s Speech and Economic Theory
In light of the President’s speech last night and all the brouhaha we create over the ideological grenades we lob at each other these days, I thought we should be reminded of most economic theory origins.
We May Not Agree, But We Need Not Hate
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!” (Luke 6:27, NLT)
I truly enjoy blogging and exchanging ideas. There are quite a few things I choose not to engage in on this particular blog, though I might give it a swing on Facebook. One reason I may not engage fully is how we tend to get quite nasty in our disagreements. Sometimes we get into areas that really are difficult and navigating those waters gets downright choppy.
Two huge issues come to mind:
1. Rob Bell and the “new universalism” (which isn’t new, but we can call it that, I suppose).
2. The ordaining of homosexuals that was approved by the Presbyterian Church USA this week. (Or, any other issue dealing with homosexuality.)
There are quite simply matters that will not be resolved in this space we call “time.” Not our lifetimes. Not the next generation. We will just keep struggling along.
Yet, we get so disagreeable in our disagreements!
Quite frankly, we like our own positions and anyone who can’t see it our way is just plain nuts!
In this vein, while I do not wish to wade into debates on particular issues, I offer a couple of thoughts:
1. I may not agree with you on your position. To be honest, I may even think you’re wrong. But know this: That takes nothing away from me respecting you.
For instance, I will disagree politically with President Obama 90 plus percent of the time on policy. That does not lessen my respect for him as president.
2. If I treat those who disagree with me in a way that seems to hold contempt, I am wrong. I may be right in my “position,” but that does not give me freedom to hold the other position with contempt.
For instance, I will disagree politically with Republicans AND Democrats on so many issues. Traditionally, I have voted Republican. I have since re-evaluated that position, but that doesn’t readily mean I would vote for a Democrat. That does not mean I need to say, “Anyone voting Democrat just can’t be a Christian,” or something to that effect. Nor do I accept someone saying, “If you vote Republican, how can you call yourself a Christian?”
In our current climate in American Christianity and American democracy, we have the position of ”We disagree, and we will be disagreeable doing it.”
I just simply don’t want to be that way. If I choose to act that way, or act in a way that would seem hateful to a position different than mine, how am I different? That is the question posed in Luke 6. Why just be nice to those who agree with you? The rest of the world does that! Big deal! Kingdom living calls for something different. It isn’t easy! But it just may make a difference if we, as believers, decide to give it a shot.
We Just Can’t Be Happy
A couple of observations as I watch the wide range of reactions to the huge events of this week.
1. The phrase “If you’re not angry you’re not paying attention” comes to mind.
2. And over against that, as I study for Sunday, the passage from 1 Peter shouts out to me: “You love him even though you have have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you REJOICE with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” (1 Pet. 1:8, NLT)
There is certainly a hesitation to seem “too happy” over the death of bin Laden. But I am finding there is a hesitancy to be happy over anything these days. We just have the propensity to gripe. (And, it’s fun. No lie.)
But our eyes need to be UP. Our view needs to be on HIM. And as believers, maybe we could say, “If you’re not happy, you’re looking in the wrong direction.”
Breakout
Things are breaking out all over! Now, Iran?
The government doesn’t seem to be as “kind” in Iran to protesters as they were in Egypt. Go figure.
Again, this is a matter of prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Iran. While revival has been springing up in Iran, so has intense persecution. Remember the Church.
Happy Birthday, Mr. President
Ronald Reagan is the president I best remember growing up. I can vaguely remember Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. I was in junior high when Reagan was elected and followed his presidency the closest.
I can remember where I was when I heard the news that he had been shot. I remember those incredible words: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
I love great communicators and he was certainly one of the great 20th Century communicators.
He was a hero of a different era. And I certainly hold him as a hero in that vein.
Rest in peace.
CEB
