Politics

May 28, 2020

A recent online conversation with a pastor friend has me to thinking. We were discussing the political ramifications of the Gospel. We both are concerned with the injustices and inequalities of our day, but differ in how we address them. Both of us must issue disclaimers, in that neither of us has had much personal experience being on the receiving end of injustice or inequality. We both are middle class, white male clergy, college and seminary educated—all of which places us in a different perspective from which to view such matters. We have the luxury of standing on the outside looking in, which is not an invalid position, but it certainly is a different perspective from that of someone growing up experiencing poverty, discrimination, and such. 

We watch the same news, see the same things happening in our country, but we deal with it differently, and are trying to learn from each other. I see the Gospel as having its primary impact upon the individual human heart; he sees the Gospel as an imperative to transform human systems such as government and education. I cannot claim to be “more right” than he; hopefully, we can both grow as we continue to talk. 

A little background. I was raised as an independent, fundamentalist Baptist. I was given a Biblical and faith foundation that has stood the test of time. Those roots still nourish my spiritual life. By a strange twist of God’s sense of humor, I ended up going to a liberal United Methodist seminary, and as a UM pastor for nearly fifty years. It has been at times an uneasy marriage. I began ministry as an Evangelical United Brethren pastor, and when the EUB and former Methodist denominations merged in 1972, I quickly learned that though we used the same religious language, we often didn’t mean the same things by it.

Nonetheless, I have benefited greatly from this denomination which is on the road to self-destruction over issues of Biblical authority, interpretation, and sexual ethics. This saddens me, because it’s my more liberal pastor friends who have helped me see life through different eyes. I haven’t changed my theology, but I am able to have these kinds of conversations without thinking in the back of my mind that the other side is necessarily apostate. For a fundamentalist, that’s big!

So my friend and I have had this conversation over the nature of the Kingdom of God. To what extent and in what ways does it involve political action? Is the Sermon on the Mount merely a personal ethic, or does it have wider social applications? He challenged me with that question, and I needed time to think about it.

I have to admit that much of what we enjoy in modern society is the result of Christian influence in politics, science, and education. Though our modern secular world has not only drifted from it’s Christian foundations, but rebelled against it, the values we hold dear came from the Judeo-Christian tradition. It was the Christian William Wilberforce whose lifelong efforts resulted in England outlawing slavery. It was Christians who rescued babies abandoned by Roman parents because they weren’t perfect. It was Christians who established the first hospitals and universities, and taught that we are equal in God’s sight. The record isn’t perfect, but it’s there. I applaud those who work to make this world a better place. 

But even with all this good, I wish I were more of an optimist regarding human nature. Martin Luther King’s dream that we be judged by the content of our character rather than the color of our skin has been largely abandoned by both the black and white communities. Hatred, discrimination, and violence are just as virulent as ever, and in spite of laws, protests, and preaching, we seem no closer to a just society than we ever were.

When Jesus told Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world, was he challenging the Roman system under which he would shortly be crucified? In a way, yes. The best governing system yet developed, along with the best religious system, crucified the Son of God. So much for changing this world’s systems! Jesus repeatedly spoke of the Kingdom of God, but never really defined it. It was left to St. Paul to do that. “The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17). There is nothing political about that, other than how we translate it into action in this world. I believe we need to start by confronting the individual human being with the truth of the Gospel, the necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Everything flows from that, and apart from it, no political action we take can last. 

I engage in social ministry not because I believe it’s going to change the world, but because Jesus commands me to love my neighbor. That’s close and personal. Let me give one example. Many churches operate food pantries. People are helped, but little changes in their lives. I’ve long believed that instead of food pantries where we become merely another impersonal agency doling out handouts like any other, we should link families in the church with those in need. When someone comes in need of food, we should connect them with a Christian family who will go shopping with the persons in need, pay for the groceries, and build a relationship with them. In so doing, we are no longer another faceless bureaucracy; people are personally ministered to, and those offering the ministry get the privilege of doing more than just donating to a mission fund. Both the giver and receiver have the opportunity of being transformed by the love of Christ. I believe such ministry would be truly transformative, but haven’t been able to convince anyone. It’s a big commitment and a lot of work. But it would be better than the impersonal social service agencies that help some, and perpetuate dependency with others.