An unhealthy overemphasis on politics

 

I'll admit, I've been sucked toward the rabbit hole of politics more in 2020 than any year since my youthful fascination decades ago.  With so much of consequence happening, between the pandemic, race relations, and the election, I can't be alone in this.  At the same time, the ongoing Culture War and hyper-partisanship have made our political theatre more and more toxic to those who both participate in it, and to those who observe it.

Perspective is lacking.  We need to refocus, particularly as Christians, on 'things above', {Colossians 3:1 (NIV) Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.} but how do we do that?  By putting politics back in its rightful, secondary, place.

1. God directs history, not man - Psalm 2

 Psalm 2:1-6 (NIV)

1 Why do the nations conspire

    and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth rise up

    and the rulers band together

    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

3 “Let us break their chains

    and throw off their shackles.”

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;

    the Lord scoffs at them.

5 He rebukes them in his anger

    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6 “I have installed my king

    on Zion, my holy mountain.”

The thing is, as impactful as human decisions and choices are in our own lives, and as important as our collective decisions are for the future of our nation and culture, God is still in control, both individually and collectively.  The will of God is not gainsaid by anything that human beings do, or fail to do.  The ultimate example of the futility of striving against God is the 'victory' of Satan when Jesus Christ was betrayed, falsely convicted, sentenced to death, and horribly murdered on a cross.  This apparent defeat of God's champion, whether Satan knew him to truly be the Son of God or not, was not a derailment of God's purpose in sending the Messiah, but its fulfillment.  In 'defeat', God was victorious in establishing his will, destroying both Sin and Death through the resurrection of Jesus.  Because God was able to accomplish this humanly impossible victory, he certainly can handle the simple plots of, relatively, powerless humans.  This is not a denial of human freewill, but rather advocacy for the supremacy of God's will.  God, being God, is able to give humanity freewill AND still accomplish his will.  Another example?  Joseph's time in Egypt as a slave: Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  Likewise, note the futility of Saul of Tarsus' efforts to thwart the will of God: Acts 26:14 (NLT) We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.[b]’ [26:14b Greek It is hard for you to kick against the oxgoads.]  Whatever politics is, it is not what determines the future.  We have given it too much credit, at the expense of trusting in God.

2. Human nature is unaffected by governments/society - Ecclesiastes 1:9

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)

What has been will be again,

    what has been done will be done again;

    there is nothing new under the sun.

Solomon, in his wisdom, grasped that human nature doesn't change.  This may seem like a fantastic claim to post-modern individuals living in the information age in a democratic society, but the people in our modern world are no different than the people of the Ancient Near East who lived in an agrarian society of kingdoms and empires where oral history was the primary means of retaining knowledge.  As much as technology and information availability have changed since the Industrial Revolution, a pace of change that has accelerated dramatically since the invention of the internet, human nature has 'evolved' not at all.  Human beings still respond to the same motivations, still have the same flaws, hope, and dreams.  The details change, but the substance does not.

What then is the impact of the static nature of humanity on politics?  It reminds us that whatever change a new election or new form of government may bring, that change impacts the surface.  Deep down, humanity remains what we have always been.  Beings created in the image of God who have fallen from grace and are powerless to alter that state and are thus dependent upon a Savior.  Those truths remain the same, whether one lives under a despotic emperor or has the right to vote for representatives.  Don't get me wrong, humanity is better off with political freedom, those blessings are of great value, but even they don't change human nature.  Our ancestors were less free, but they were no less human, and our freedom hasn't made us any more human.

3. The Church's victory is not dependent upon temporal power (or a lack thereof) - Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:18 (NIV) And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

The Church does not require power to fulfill its mission.  In fact, the more power in society that the Church has wielded, the more mixed the results of evangelism and discipleship.  While the history of Christianity in Japan is the prime example that, 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church' is a myth.  Extreme and prolonged persecution can destroy a church.  The opposite of persecution, power, is also a danger to the church.  When Calvin merged the Church in Geneva with the State, making city business into church business, it was not 'heaven on earth', nor was it sustained long-term.  Likewise, when the Lutheran Church in German was at its most elevated status, it fell prey to Bonhoeffer's 'Cheap Grace', a form of religion without the commitment of the heart.

In the end, neither persecution nor power can deny the universal Church its final destiny as the Bride of Christ.  While local churches, denominations, or even national churches may thrive or fail as time wears on, the mission of the Church is not to conquer the physical/political world, but to share the Gospel with all peoples.  We are called to be servants, not rulers, and that calling is irrevocable. 

Revelation 19:6-9 (NIV)

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!

    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

7 Let us rejoice and be glad

    and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

    and his bride has made herself ready.

8 Fine linen, bright and clean,

    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

The final victory was secured at the Empty Tomb, the final chapter of the story has already been written.  The ebb and flow of human striving for temporal power pales in comparison to the drama unfolding through the generations as individuals are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.

4. The corrosive nature of politics - Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The most detrimental thing to me, personally, during the heightened awareness to politics throughout 2020 has been the emotional pain caused by experiencing despicable human behavior being rewarded as 'good politics'.  When fellow citizens are pitted against one another, competing to outdo 'them' in duplicity and character assassination, we turn character and honor into a weakness, and make a lack of conscience or integrity a strength.  This may win elections, but it warps and degrades the electorate.  Christians, unless they choose to forgo these tactics and compete with integrity, are stained by joining in with 'politics as usual'.  

In addition to the corrosive impact of the way in which politics is waged, there is also the influence of vast sums of money.  It was Lord Acton who famously warned, "Power tends to corrupt, absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely."  The same is true with money.  Money tends to corrupt, vast amounts of money tends to vastly corrupt.  We should not be surprised by this in the least: 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Maybe after November 3rd things will calm down a bit.  Maybe our fascination with the machinations in Washington will subside for a while and we can get back to focusing on what's happening with our families and community.  But it won't happen if we don't make it happen.  Elections matter, who governs our nation and how they govern matters, they just don't matter nearly as much as our current toxic political drama implies.

Sermon Video: Make use of what God has given - Mark 4:21-25

 In a series of 4 connected sayings, Jesus explains the nature of the world that God created, emphasizing that the Truth is intended to be disclosed and that both the righteous path toward God and the wicked path away from God are self-reinforcing.  Why?  Because that's the nature of reality.  The universe has a moral law just as much as it has a natural one.  Moving toward God is light and life, moving away is darkness and death; it cannot be otherwise because apart from God there is nothing.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

The purposeful tension between Unity and Purity within the Church: A Scriptural Mandate

One of the earliest impulses toward schism within the Early Church, preceding even the great theological controversies regarding the nature of Jesus Christ in the 3rd and 4th centuries that led to the Council of Nicaea {A brief theology derived from the Nicene Creed}, was between those who believed that the Church was intended to be a small community of spiritually elite disciples, hand-picked by God for salvation, and those who viewed it as a mixed group of sinners and saints (tares among the wheat), all works in progress, even the redeemed.  The monastic movement, soon to become one of the central forces in the Medieval Church, was a response to the mixed company of the local church, that allowed those seeking a deeper commitment to live among like-minded individuals.  Likewise, the Donatist Controversy that tore apart the North African Church for six centuries began as a squabble between those who had fiercely resisted the great Roman persecutions and remained true to their faith, and those who had succumbed to imprisonment and torture by recanting.  After the time of persecution ended, those who had risked death were unwilling to allow anyone short of the bishop the authority to welcome the 'lapsed' Christians back into the fold.  St. Augustine weighed-in against the majority 'pure only' Donatists, even welcoming Imperial persecution of them for not returning to the official Church, for he believed that the Church was not reserved for the pure alone, but for all those seeking to become pure.

{For more on Church History: What Every Christian Should Know About: Church History, scroll down to the bottom of the page}

While the tension between unity and purity is inherent when working with flawed human beings, some of whom will always be more committed to spiritual discipline (or further along the journey) than others, it is also inherent within the text of Scripture.  In other words, God commanded his people to care about both unity and purity, knowing that these two ideals would be at times in opposition, and knowing that his people would at times struggle to balance them.  Why?  Because both unity and purity have value in the Church, both are necessary.

Consider a hypothetical church that stresses unity at the expense of purity: By what standard will admittance into this church be made?  How will such a church respond to beliefs and practices that are contrary to Scripture, even harmful to the Gospel?  A church that accepts everyone and every belief ceases to make progress toward transforming those who belong to it into Christ-likeness.  Such a church lacks both discipline and definition.

Consider a hypothetical church that stresses purity at the expense of unity: How will such a church fulfill the call to evangelism?  How will such a church avoid endless schism, and avoid becoming a church where only those who agree on everything are welcome?  A church that accepts no one but like minded individuals can neither grow nor impact its culture.  Such a church lacks both freedom of conscience and grace.

Examples abound, to varying degrees of churches that exemplify both extremes.  Going beyond a balance of the two priorities is unhealthy, whether one emphasizes unity or purity.  This observation is not my own brilliant analysis, rather it is in keeping with the thesis of Dr. Ronald Mayers book, Both/And: A Balanced Apologetic.  I have a much highlighted copy on my shelf, having had Dr. Mayers as my professor for nearly half of my religion classes at Cornerstone, and having even taught two of his classes during my senior year while he was at a seminar.

It is one thing to say that the Bible says this or that, another to demonstrate it.  The following examples are thus offered as a partial demonstration, they are but a sampling:

Texts on the importance of unity:

John 17:20-21 (NIV)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Titus 3:9-10 (NIV)

9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Texts on the importance of purity:

Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV)

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

1 John 4:1-2 (NIV)

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

Notice that examples can be found stressing both purity and unity from Jesus in the Gospels, as well as the writings of the Apostle Paul.  The two examples from 1 John are instructive.  They occur only a few sentences apart, and while John throughout his letter stresses the absolute need for Christians to love each other, going so far as to declare that without love for the brethren an individual should doubt that he/she is genuinely saved, he still feels that it is necessary to warn his readers that not every person claiming to represent God is actually doing so.  John applies a standard for unity: affirmation of the incarnation.  

{For more on the theology of 1 John: The Ecumenism of 1 John.  In the book I explain John's threefold test of faith (1. Affirmation of Jesus Christ, 2. Righteous living, aka 'walking in the light', and 3. love for fellow Christians.)  That standard is then applied to various groups to see if they belong inside or outside of the Church}

In the end, the Church needs to honor the tension inherent in the Scriptures by being both ecumenically minded, with a tent as big as Scripture allows, and on-guard against false teachers, maintaining the purity of the Gospel message.  My own life in ministry reflects my belief in this principle.  On the one hand, through the Franklin and Venango County ministeriums and Mustard Seed Missions, I regularly work with committed Christians from both a variety of Protestant churches and Catholics, and on the other hand, I consider it an obligation of my ordination to point out the dangerous and heretical views expressed by others, especially those that endanger the evangelistic mission of the Church by either warping the Gospel (for example: the Prosperity Gospel) or damaging the character/reputation of the Church itself (for example: the marriage of Church and politics).  It may seem odd to be both ecumenical and judgmental (in a good way, hopefully) to those who are not aware of the reasoning behind such a stance, but it is in keeping with my understanding of what the Scriptures require of both the Church and its ministers.

[In Evangelical Perspectives: Toward a Biblical Balance, a companion to Both/And: A Balanced Apologetic, Dr. Mayers identified twelve scriptural issues that require a both/and perspective: (1) Reality: Both God and Creation, (2) God: Both One and Many, (3) Christ: Both Divine and Human, (4) Man: Both Dignified and Depraved, (5) General Revelation: Both Within and Without, (6) Special Revelation: Both Event and Word, (7) Inspiration: Both Holy Spirit and Human Authors, (8) Testaments: Both Continuity and Discontinuity, (9) Salvation: Both Provision and Response, (10) Holy Spirit: Both Holiness and Eternal Security, (11) Church: Both Proclamation and Charity, and (12) Last Things: Both Already and Not Yet.  It is my view that Church: Both Unity and Purity fits within this framework.]

When is governmental action morally justified? The morality of COVID-19 responses to protect less than 1%.

This is a serious question, I'm actually curious about what you would answer:

Given that as of today, 10/13/20, there have been at least 214,000 COVID-19 deaths in America, and given that those numbers are expected to be nearly 400,000 by February of 2021 (that is, only 111 days from now): At what point would governmental (local, state, or federal) restrictions (shutdowns, crowd limits, mask mandates) be justified in your mind?

1% of the current US population (331 million) would be over 3 million deaths. Thankfully, we have avoided this nightmare scenario {thanks in part to mitigation efforts, both voluntary and imposed}. Should we, as a society, take self-sacrificial actions in hopes of preventing the deaths of less than 1%? Is economic hardship justified for less than 1%? Are limitations on the freedom of a country's citizens justifiable for less than 1%?

For comparison: In the U.S., about 28% of the population of 105 million became infected with the Spanish Flu 1918-1920, and 500,000 to 850,000 died (0.48 to 0.81 percent of the population in 1918, those % amount to 1.588 million to 2.681 million Americans with today's larger population)

{COVID-19 death projections}

As of today, we are approaching 1/10th of 1% of America's residents killed by COVID-19 (331,000), and should surpass that number before Christmas. Should we, as a society, take self-sacrificial actions in hopes of preventing the deaths of 1/10th of 1%?

The final number killed by this pandemic will, Lord willing, remain significantly less than 1%. What then does the Christian worldview offer to guide us regarding our level of concern for harms that may come to a small minority among us?

1. Abraham's conversation with God about Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 18:20-32 (NIV) 20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[a] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

If there had been 10 righteous people in Sodom (sadly, there were not even 10), the city would have been spared. Without knowing the population of the city at that time, it is impossible to judge how small a minority this would have been, but it seems clear that it was less than 1% (i.e. that the city contained more than 1,000 people). While this example involves divine judgement, not governmental policy, it illuminates a principle that can be applied from the former to the latter.

2. Jesus' parable of the 99 and the 1 sheep.

Luke 15:3-7 (NIV) 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The numbers here are helpful, only 1% of the sheep are in danger in Jesus' parable, yet the shepherd leaves the 99 'in open country', not safe in a pen or with another shepherd, in order to rescue the lost 1. Once again, this is a spiritual example involving God's justice and mercy, but it too vindicates concern for the minority, even one as small as 1%.

3. Any is too many when Peter reflects on God's purposes.

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Governmental officials, not having the wisdom or power of God, have to make hard choices. They sometimes must make choices that will lead to the harm of some in order to protect others. From God's perspective, there are no 'throw away' people. All of humanity is created in the image of God. Every person has a soul, every person is one for whom Christ was willing to die.

Conclusion: From a Christian worldview perspective, whether one is a libertarian or a socialist, a Republican or a Democrat, or any other political view or allegiance, the biblical model remains clear: One is worth sacrificing for, tiny minorities have value in the sight of God.

What precautions should be taken, and who should be encouraging or ordering them is a political question. Christian men and women of good intentions can and do disagree about HOW to put our concern for those in need into action {and not just on this topic}. However, what we don't have the luxury of doing, as Christ followers, is making a cold calculation that 1/10th of 1% of Americans are not WORTH sacrificing for. That this pandemic primarily affects the elderly and those with underlying conditions is irrelevant from a moral point of view. As Christians, we remain beholden to the Law of Love:

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV) 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Sermon Video: The Parable of the Sower - Mark 4:1-20

 In the well known parable, Jesus explains that the 'seed' of God's Word falls upon various 'soils' representing differing human beings.  How do they differ?  Some are hostile to God, some have other more pressing concerns, and some readily respond.  Those who fully respond, the 'good soil' produce 'fruit', that is they work to reproduce in other people what God has done for them.  Healthy churches need to make disciples, they need to cultivate open and dedicated hearts (good soil) that encourage service and self-sacrifice.

To watch the video, click on the link below: