Following a political Jesus during election season.
by Jon Huckins
Before reading, pause and reflect on what thoughts, experiences, or definitions come to mind when you hear the word “political.
Imagine stepping into a room with people who think differently about faith and politics. What emotions come to the surface?
We all know navigating politics is challenging and complex. Many of us just want to walk away from it all and pretend like the issues will resolve themselves and the broken relationships will mend on their own. Others of us are in relationship with people who are daily impacted by our broken policies and know that political apathy isn’t an option. And, in our urgency, we find ourselves leveraging finger-pointing and shame to try to convince others to join us.
Yet, disconnecting from politics is a luxury and privilege only afforded to the handful of us who aren’t directly impacted by broken policies that separate families at borders, block out low- and middle-income families from being able to buy a home or keep certain demographics from having reasonable access to vote. And, on the flip side, science and human relationships tell us that people don’t change their minds based on shame and judgment.
So, as Everyday Peacemakers, we can’t run away from politics by sticking our collective heads in the sand. And, we can’t go around pointing fingers and leveraging shame as if that is actually helping the world (and our policies) look and feel more like Jesus.
Politics doesn’t have to be such a terrifying word. Politics is simply the ordering of society. Every single society in the history of the world has to decide how to order itself.
Will it order itself in such a way that those who have power keep getting more or in a way that they are mandated to leverage their power for the sake of those without it? Will society order itself in a way that allows some people access to health care and leaves others without? Or in a way that prioritizes military funding over funding social services? Or in a way that “Christian” prayer is allowed in schools but Jewish or Muslim prayer is not?
These are only a tiny fraction of the decisions we have to make about how we order ourselves. And, as we know, Christians certainly do not all agree on how to answer these questions!
Yet, we live in a democracy where, at its best, citizens have a say in how we order society. Citizens are to be able to hold their leaders accountable in ways that lead to the flourishing of everyone, not just a personal election campaign.
As Christians whose primary allegiance and citizenship are to the kingdom of God, we don’t place our hope in the United States, our democracy, or our favorite politician. We put it in a Jesus who not only lived on the margins of society, but who died as an enemy of the State. At best, we embrace a Conflicted Allegiance—prioritizing our commitment to the Kingdom of God while leveraging our votes for the sake of those on the underside of power.
We are heading into the midterm elections knowing that the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors, our children’s safety, and our planet’s future are literally at stake. We also know that the result of these elections will intimately impact the types of conversations we have (or don’t have) around our Thanksgiving tables with extended family who think differently than we do.
As a father to four kids, neighbor to some of the country’s most vulnerable on our southern border, a PhD student who spends (far too much!) time studying this topic, and as a follower of Jesus, I urge us to enter this election season with courage, compassion, and curiosity. Navigating this season in a way that honors our own health, our neighbors well-being, and our ability to love beyond political binaries will require all three.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool.”
The evangelical church has failed miserably at this profound and essential invitation over the past century. Most notably, white evangelicals have time and time again set aside their fidelity to Jesus for the sake of pursuing political power. Other times, they (we) have stuck their heads in the sand about justice issues for fear of losing congregants (and money), proclaiming that “we don’t talk about politics; we just talk about Jesus.”
Jesus’ life, teaching, death, and resurrection point us toward a society that is ordered in light of the Kingdom of God. Friends, everything about Jesus was political!
As a collective stumbling toward Jesus and the practice of Everyday Peacemaking, may we enter the voting booth and gather around our holiday tables driven with a courage to stand up for what is right and be willing to be misunderstood along the way.
May we model a curiosity that leads to compassion for both those we agree and disagree with.
And, as we pledge our allegiance to the Kingdom of God and engage the political process of the United States, may we never lose hope that another world is possible. We get to join God in making that real in the world.
