Breaking the (election) cycle
What is the Christian’s responsibility in politics? I thought this World Magazine article puts it in a pretty good perspective. Joel Belz gives 3 reminders as we look at our place in the political process:
First, it’s our culture - not the political process - that has to change. Mastering the political process, instead of the culture that political process reflects, is about as effective as training a dog’s tail. When you train the dog well, the tail tends to follow.
Second, Christians need to struggle in a fresh way with the sad manner in which the kingdom of God has become a culture coddler instead of a culture challenger. We have tended over the last few generations to show more zeal for discovering points of common interest with our culture than for highlighting crucial points of difference.
Third, none of this will happen on a grand scale until it has begun to happen profoundly with us as individuals. God uses structures, to be sure. But the structures He’s typically used have been those that are built on individual men and women who have done business with Him on a personal basis.
I have argued both that as Christians we should not support the ‘best’ of 2 evils and the opposite position that we have a God-given responsibility to exercise the God-given freedoms we have in this country. I do not feel we should be fighting for a ‘place at the table’, but I also do not think that we can sit idly by and watch our society commit suicide. But what do we do? Whatever it is, we need to “keep it all in some eternal perspective.”
It’s funny–I made my post on politics today entirely independent of anything here. I just caught up reading yours this evening. :)
I agree that it is a rather sticky point when it comes to figuring out just how a Christian ought to be involved in today’s political arena. Personally, I tend towards the “hands-off” approach. Politics, it appears we agree, is not a cause, but an effect. It is an effect of culture, which is an effect of the church. Given that chain of dependencies, I don’t see as we need to do anything in the political arena. That follows through automatically once we’re faithful in the spiritual arena.
And following on that, I would emphasize the importance of corporate worship, and the corporate church, over individualism. Belz doesn’t contradict this at all, but seems more heavily influenced by the pop individualism that is prevalent in the U.S. today. One must have a strong personal relationship with Christ, but that personal relationship will do little good culturally unless one also understands his place in forming the corporate body of Christ.
Comment by Matt Winckler — July 29, 2004 @ 8:21 pm
I am not so sure we can take such a hands off approach. I agree that the culture is in sad shape because the church itself is in such sad shape. But besides working just within the church to build a foundation of values that will influence culture I feel we also need to shape the culture as directly as we can as well.
A poor analogy: Just because my children are misbehaving because of my poor teaching of christian values does not mean that I should not, once I realize the problem, not also begin a program of physical discipline to bring them into line. Yes, I could mold them by just the ’spiritual’ teaching but the process would be much longer and I would be neglecting a very important tool at my disposal.
Comment by Gary — August 4, 2004 @ 5:51 pm