A Long Walk Off a Short Pier (Or the Challenge of Voting as a Christian)

We can’t talk about THAT!! Can we?

Don’t discuss religion and politics. It’s a cardinal rule in America. We hear it in much the same way previous generations heard, “Children are to be seen and not heard.” We are told braving the topics will only lead to arguments, frayed relationships, and alienating those we care about most deeply. So Americans have stopped having passionate, rational, lively discourse with those we love the most and whose opinions mean the most to us. Intelligent dialogue among close friends and family on contentious issues has ceased for many of us. Through our silence, we have begun a long, casual stroll unsure of where our next step will take us. We survey the political and ideological landscape and are drawn to the concepts, ideas, and individuals that tickle our fancy. We find what we love and fill our lives with it.

It has never been easier to tune out those with whom we disagree. We unfollow friends on Facebook, we mute dissenting voices on Twitter, and we keep silent about politics and religion in our social interactions. If we continue down this path, we may find we have wandered beyond where our footing is sure into currents too strong for us to swim.

I’m not going to tell you where to cast your ballot. No one likes to be pushed to vote for a candidate, unless of course it is the candidate we have already chosen. I do want to encourage you to talk to your friends and family. Ask questions. Listen twice as much as you speak (maybe just listen…until they ask for your view). Find people with whom you are almost certain you will disagree. Ask them why they adhere to a specific political viewpoint. Find out what motivates them to choose a certain candidate. I would encourage you to re-engage the people in your life about the important issues in your life and the life of our nation. If you are a Christian, talk to an atheist. Really listen to how they arrived at that point (most that I know didn’t start there). Don’t judge them. Care for them. Listen like you would want to be heard. If you’re a Republican, find a Democrat. Ask about the issues that made them choose that party. Please put down your defenses and hear what matters to the other person. Who knows, you may find that you value the same things and are disagreeing about how to address them.

It is only in beginning to talk about religion and politics that we will begin to find a way forward, embracing the common good. How can we love our neighbors if we don’t know them? How can we understand the thoughts motivating their political action if we don’t listen?

You’re a pastor. You can’t talk politics!!

Well, actually, I can’t help but talk politics. Should pastors set out to make political action the aim of their ministry? No. Should living a life in relationship with Jesus impact my politics? Absolutely. While I may not tell you for whom to vote or on what issues, I have a primary responsibility to help the people around me encounter a kingdom that crosses party aisles, national borders, ethnic barriers, and gender gaps. The kingdom of God is not a footnote in the margin of my life. It demands my attention. It shapes my thoughts. It informs my actions.

As a Christian, I feel deeply conflicted during these turbulent times. Neither political party in America addresses all of the issues Scripture calls me to value. Both parties pander to certain segments of the Church in America. Sometimes their willingness to say whatever they know Christians want to hear is a tad nauseating, but that is a story for another post. Scripture doesn’t address the tension of having to vote for candidates who have some values in line with the teachings of Jesus and others that are diametrically opposed. Issues like the right to have an abortion, the death penalty, torture of prisoners of war, gun rights, and minimum wage drive deep divides among many Christian communities.

While there are gray areas and possibilities for disagreement in interpretation of Scripture and how to apply what has been interpreted, some actions should be soundly denounced by Christian leaders. The Transatlantic slave trade was shut down by just such leaders. Abolition in the United States gained ground because of such leaders. Education reached the masses and labor laws have been reformed because of such leaders. The Civil Rights movement marched forward because of such leaders. In moments like these, there are actions and political campaigns that need to be rejected because of their distinct divergence from the teachings of Jesus. I cannot imagine the suffering servant, who taught his own followers to turn the other cheek, encouraging the crowds to beat anyone who disagrees with him. Jesus regularly engaged in public debate with his religious and political detractors. He never called for them to be beaten to silence. Jesus’ own brother called upon the Church to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Shouting down our opponents and beating them into silence does not reflect the values of Jesus. While not all political decisions are easy in light of Scripture, some are. It is in those times we must raise our voice and encourage loving action in light of the call of Jesus.

Jesus recognized the brokenness of religious and political institutions in his day. They were the vehicles of his death: a religious kangaroo court and a Roman cross. He has been offering the hope of life for over 2000 years. He offers hope still. There is no night so dark the light of Christ cannot shine brighter still. Please choose to embrace the love of God and to share that love with your enemies.

The tone of my first post shifted significantly in light of what happened at a political rally in Chicago. I have been reminded there is a timely urgency to gaining our voices and hearing the voices of those with whom we disagree.

On the whole, I recognize there are so few spaces in modern life for gracious dialogue. I hope this blog can become one in the days ahead. Always feel free to comment and share whether you agree or not.