I am currently working my way through NT Wright and Michael Bird’s new book, Jesus and the Powers. It is some “prep” for this election season. More than that, it is necessary prep for how to lead in the church in a time when we face serious upheaval. We will have deep divides. The nastiness is very real. How do we live?

Wright and Bird argue it is not to withdraw. It is to realize how the Kingdom of God is for this world.

The kingdom will come … through the imperial violence done to him (Christ) on the cross and through the anti-imperial, death-reversing, justice-loving power of resurrection. Then the kingdom spreads, not through conquest, but through the spirit’s life-giving and liberating power being experienced by more and more people and through their life-giving contribution to the world.

Keeping out of politics is impossible. The goodness of the Kingdom and the good action of the people of the Kingdom will effect powers, whether those powers like it or not, and whether those powers realize it or not. But is the action of the Kingdom of God in peace and love and justice, not the conquering, MMA thumping, insult throwing garbage we are witnessing in the name of Christ right now.

This is a matter of spiritual formation. Churches must be better and do better at leading congregations in the way of spiritual formation. More intentionally. More verbally and precisely. And with examples. We can’t avoid “calling out” wrong motives, actions, and beliefs anymore.

There is good in the Kingdom of God, and it is time we live it out as the people of God.