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Have you ever had a political discussion in the church? This is not always the most comfortable subject.
"So, what are you doing after church this afternoon?"
"Um … Go to the protest march."
Clumsy break. "Oh it's so much noise and disturbance, I'm not sure what the point is."
This could be one of the most civil exchanges. Many Christians are reluctant to express their political opinions among their brothers and sisters. And how many times have we heard not talk about politics around the table?
Although I have never been afraid to express my political views, in recent years I have learned what it means to speak a Christian. As followers of Christ, we owe no allegiance to any political party or power, and because of our neutrality, humility and love, I think we have an important perspective on the politics that the world needs. To hear
. We have a unique perspective
When we enter political conversations, the first thing to remember is that we are Christians. We are not just followers of one or the other imperfect human party. When lines are drawn in the sand, dividing some people by others (liberals / conservatives, pro-establishment / pro-democracy, etc.), these lines simply do not, and must not not apply to us. 19659007] When we offer our opinion on politics, the first opinions we must have
come from the Bible
. When we offer our opinion on politics, the first opinions we have must come from the Bible.
As Christians, we are law-abiding citizens and submit to earthly authority (Romans 13: 1-7). But we boldly defend the dignity of the widow and the orphan, and of all those who are marginalized by the world (Proverbs 31: 8-9).
These two points of view can be uncomfortable. On the one hand, we do not always want to submit to the terrestrial authorities. I have known missionary families who refuse to pay taxes to authoritarian governments. "Why should I help their persecution?" They ask, forgetting that Christ Himself told the Jews to "give back to Caesar what is Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21).
On the other hand, defending the weak often comes with a price. For example, Christians who speak out against forced abortions can be harbaded by the community.
But when we remember that our loyalty is not to political parties or systems – but to a coming king – we can speak with love, humility, and humility. boldly. Such a combination is rare in our current political landscapes, and is more likely to encourage meaningful and constructive conversation than our often superficial views. Perhaps through these conversations, our unbelieving friends might see that we cherish something that is not influenced by political trends, and that might be inspired to reconsider its own understanding of politics.
2. We are united in Christ
Although we agree on submission to the authority and defense of the weak, Christians may disagree on how to carry out this task. I have my dear brothers and sisters with whom I do not agree when it comes time to vote. We do not agree on whether there is something that deserves to be contested and whether a walk is a reasonable way to do it. We disagree on the extent of the authority that a government should have.
So, why bother talking about politics?
Because we know that these differences are superficial, but important. Speaking of spiritual gifts, Paul reminds the church in Corinth that "now you are the body of Christ, and that every one of you is one of them" (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are united in Christ, but we each have different strengths and weaknesses, and different preferences. It's a good thing. Our imperfect but individual attempts to live the teaching of Christ make for the beautiful mosaic we call the Church.
My friends Steve and John * sincerely seek to live the teachings of the Bible to the best of their abilities. However, although they have the same foundation in the Bible, they elaborate political implications very differently. Indeed, they support candidates and policies totally opposed.
In the early days of their friendship, they had a lot of lively discussions and minimal respect for each other when it came to politics. But as their friendship grew, they did not ignore the differences, but learned to humbly and humbly challenge each other's choices and to return to the Bible.
As much Steve does not agree with John's policy, that John is actively seeking to please God. Because of this, Steve never tires of trying to understand how John's favored politics (which sometimes seems so biblical) connects to John's love for God. And John patiently does the same for Steve. They ask themselves questions when they seek to understand opposing points of view, such as "Why do you think that?", "Have you thought about it? . . ? "," I'm not entirely the link between your points. "
By recognizing their unity in Christ, Steve and John often come to better understand and respect each other's choices, even if they still do not agree. even reach an agreement on unexpected questions.
Even if we disagree with brothers and sisters on specific issues, we recognize our unity in Christ and we can encourage ourselves to love God more deeply.
Even though we disagree with brothers and sisters on specific issues, when we recognize our unity in Christ, we can challenge each other to love God more deeply and to love man better.
3. We Know Who Is King
Finally, we are not afraid to speak politically because the Bible is political.
I have read Isaiah recently, and Isaiah is really accurate at about the j the future of the various nations and their wrongs. But each of these prophecies also indicates a time when a king will reign over Zion and bring peace and prosperity to all nations (Isaiah 25: 6, for example).
A king is an inherently political title, and by claiming that title, God promises that He will come back and right the wrongs of our broken political systems.
Clearly, the time when all nations kneel before God and acknowledge His authority has not yet arrived. But we, as Christians, live in the hope of this day. We know that the evils that our leaders commit are, ultimately, temporary. We know that Christ the King will come again, and when He does, He will bring a sword of judgment and right all wrongs (Revelation 19:15).
When we discuss politics with other people, maybe we can all agree on how flawed and broken politics is, and the little faith we have in our politicians. Different people propose different solutions, but let's be honest, have we ever seen a political system work as it should?
When we sympathize with current politics, perhaps we can offer the hope that Christ has offered us. That day, the Perfect King will come and govern the land in a perfect manner.
By submitting to imperfect human rulers and speaking out against the injustices they commit, we look forward to that day. We live in anticipation of the moment when the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And finally, when we discuss politics as Christians, we share the very real hope we have in Christ.
Lord Jesus. "(Apocalypse 22:20)
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