Politics and faith: going beyond

In the wake of the recent elections and all the post-election analysis that is happening, it’s hard for me to not say something. As Erwin Lutzer has asked in his book titled, “Why the Cross Can Do what Politics Can’t,” "when people see you, do they see Jesus?"

Why is it so easy to find prominent evangelical leaders speaking so negatively about the outcomes of the recent elections and tying their faith so closely to the Republical Party? Why do so many people of faith (evangelicals mostly) speak and act as if proper voting will solve America's problems? Note the recent comments of a well-respected evangelical leader:

"Citizenship is one of the major parts of our lives...and so we need to bring our faith to the public square in order to ensure that our children are taught our values, that the schools reflect our values, that the laws reflect our values. If we don't do that, then we're going to leave the governing of America to those who have a quite different vision of what they want this country to be. I think we lose our right to complain or dissent or object, if we're not part of the process."

Let me be clear that I agree voting is important. But, do I really have any ‘right’ to complain, dissent, object whether I vote or not? And, am I a citizen of America?

The easy answer to both questions is “yes.” But, I’ve come to the conclusion that there also are strong, and Biblically-based reasons, to think that the answers may both be, “no.” Sure, I have rights. But, do I have a ‘right’ to fight for my rights? And, sure I am a citizen of America. But, am I not also a stranger here? Is there not a real and important sense in which this country is not where I should call home? It seems true to my experience that the more we align ourselves with any particular political party, the more we risk communicating a faith that is not truly Biblical. Or, at the very least, communicating a faith that is unnecessarily exclusive.

The challenge to myself is to live a Biblical faith. Wrapping any particular political party around my faith is too easy and too simple—faith is not so black and white. Biblical faith is too rich, too unexpected, too counter-cultural, and too compelling to allow politics to speak for it.