Should Christians Address Social Issues/Politics? Or Just Stick to the Gospel? (with brief update)
I understand my blog has been dormant for more than a short while, and I know this is an odd and even uncharacteristic topic for me to broach at all, much less as the subject of my re-inauguration post. But blogging again has been on my mind for awhile, as has this topic, so without overthinking why I would begin again with such a weird and often controversial topic, why not spout off some simplistic and haphazard answers to a deep and complex issue?
But first, since this blog is about 10% autobiography, and knowing where someone is coming from is always helpful when discussing important matters: where have I been for the last two years?
Last time I posted I was recently married and working full time as a 6th grade English teacher at St. Paul's School. My 2.5 years at St. Paul's were so many things: rich, rewarding, challenging, educational...and extremely exhausting. I put in my resignation in Spring of 2018 because I believed God was calling me elsewhere. But I soon discovered that this was an essential, not optional and whimsical, decision. By the end of my last semester there my physical body was crashing, and crashing bad. I barely made it through the last week. That summer, my health, which as most of you know has suffered from the effects of Lyme disease for over 10 years now, dipped to a new low, presumably from the accumulated stress of the past 3 years.
Since then, I've spent the last year + attempting a lifestyle with much more rest. I started part time work as a teaching pastor at Radiant Church, and the other part of the week subbing for local high schools. I know that may not sound restful, but trust me, both of those endeavors feel like vacation compared to working with 6th graders full time. I also have more time to read, and do the things I really feel called to do--teach the Bible, lead prayer meetings, meet and scheme with other mission-minded believers about how to reach and disciple people, and maybe now write a blog or two.
Which leads us to the question at hand. Should Christians, say, in a blog like this, wade into the muddy waters of current events and politics, or should they stick with Bible teaching and cute personal stories to help bring the points home?
Well first, I do think the gospel should be the primary focus of the Church. I mean, obviously. We have a direct command from Jesus to make disciples by teaching them to obey His words, and we see the apostles in Acts doing that by bringing the message of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, all as fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures. And the First Commandment is to love God--that remains pretty solid no matter who is running for president or what injustices threaten society, yeah?
I think the real important question is whether there is a place for the Church to address these social issues at all. And if so, is the pulpit an appropriate place?
I confess, I think it's actually a bad question. So I guess I tricked you a little bit. This is what I mean.
The question assumes that we have the option of purely "staying out of politics" with clean hands while contentedly expounding Bible verses week after week on Sunday. But as citizens of a democracy, we are already involved. New Frontiers blogger Adrian Birks writes, "Not only is it our duty to engage in politics but surely everyone's values and practices are informed by what they believe, whether religious or a-religious? The suggestion then that faith and politics should not mix is absurd and naïve. All values are a product of convictions. Why then should those values informed by the Christian faith be any less valid or more inferior than those informed by some other belief system?"
For those who argue that we don't see the apostles attacking the issues of their day--abortion and infanticide in the Roman empire, idolatry and emperor worship, or especially slavery--the argument is taken too far, in my view. Paul did, in fact undermine idolatry repeatedly in his gospel teaching: "We know that 'an idol is nothing at all the world' and that 'There is no God but one.'" (1 Cor 8:4) And though some slavery back then was egregious, much of it was akin to contractual servanthood.
The bigger point, though, is that it is mostly an argument from silence. We know from church history that the early church did in fact begin to take a stand on some of these issues. They were clearly picking their battles by keeping the gospel message and a holy lifestyle front and center, and then carefully taking their stand when appropriate, as we should do too. In fact, their refusal to burn incense and worship Caesar--a massive social issue in their day--was what got the majority of the first and second century martyrs killed.
Imagine what would happen if we took this "absurd and naïve" view (Birks' words), that faith and politics shouldn't mix, further. Imagine a world where William Wilberforce kept his Christian convictions to himself and never took a stand against slavery. Imagine a world where Martin Luther King Jr. "kept to the gospel" and never confronted racial injustice. Imagine a world where all Christians withheld their voice and their vote from every election because they were doing important-church stuff and not worldly-politics stuff. Imagine a world where believers across the earth turned a blind eye to sex trafficking because, well, where's the verse telling us to put an end to sex trafficking?!
It sounds like Bloody Sunday to me. It sounds like a world with no salt or light, with only decay and darkness closing in on the voiceless, gutless, impotent so-called church.
Faith and politics are already mixing, whether you like it or not. I suggest we, the Church of Jesus, use our influence for righteousness, justice, and truth, as long as we have breath, with the gospel at the center of it all.
But first, since this blog is about 10% autobiography, and knowing where someone is coming from is always helpful when discussing important matters: where have I been for the last two years?
Last time I posted I was recently married and working full time as a 6th grade English teacher at St. Paul's School. My 2.5 years at St. Paul's were so many things: rich, rewarding, challenging, educational...and extremely exhausting. I put in my resignation in Spring of 2018 because I believed God was calling me elsewhere. But I soon discovered that this was an essential, not optional and whimsical, decision. By the end of my last semester there my physical body was crashing, and crashing bad. I barely made it through the last week. That summer, my health, which as most of you know has suffered from the effects of Lyme disease for over 10 years now, dipped to a new low, presumably from the accumulated stress of the past 3 years.
Since then, I've spent the last year + attempting a lifestyle with much more rest. I started part time work as a teaching pastor at Radiant Church, and the other part of the week subbing for local high schools. I know that may not sound restful, but trust me, both of those endeavors feel like vacation compared to working with 6th graders full time. I also have more time to read, and do the things I really feel called to do--teach the Bible, lead prayer meetings, meet and scheme with other mission-minded believers about how to reach and disciple people, and maybe now write a blog or two.
Which leads us to the question at hand. Should Christians, say, in a blog like this, wade into the muddy waters of current events and politics, or should they stick with Bible teaching and cute personal stories to help bring the points home?
Well first, I do think the gospel should be the primary focus of the Church. I mean, obviously. We have a direct command from Jesus to make disciples by teaching them to obey His words, and we see the apostles in Acts doing that by bringing the message of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, all as fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures. And the First Commandment is to love God--that remains pretty solid no matter who is running for president or what injustices threaten society, yeah?
I think the real important question is whether there is a place for the Church to address these social issues at all. And if so, is the pulpit an appropriate place?
I confess, I think it's actually a bad question. So I guess I tricked you a little bit. This is what I mean.
The question assumes that we have the option of purely "staying out of politics" with clean hands while contentedly expounding Bible verses week after week on Sunday. But as citizens of a democracy, we are already involved. New Frontiers blogger Adrian Birks writes, "Not only is it our duty to engage in politics but surely everyone's values and practices are informed by what they believe, whether religious or a-religious? The suggestion then that faith and politics should not mix is absurd and naïve. All values are a product of convictions. Why then should those values informed by the Christian faith be any less valid or more inferior than those informed by some other belief system?"
For those who argue that we don't see the apostles attacking the issues of their day--abortion and infanticide in the Roman empire, idolatry and emperor worship, or especially slavery--the argument is taken too far, in my view. Paul did, in fact undermine idolatry repeatedly in his gospel teaching: "We know that 'an idol is nothing at all the world' and that 'There is no God but one.'" (1 Cor 8:4) And though some slavery back then was egregious, much of it was akin to contractual servanthood.
The bigger point, though, is that it is mostly an argument from silence. We know from church history that the early church did in fact begin to take a stand on some of these issues. They were clearly picking their battles by keeping the gospel message and a holy lifestyle front and center, and then carefully taking their stand when appropriate, as we should do too. In fact, their refusal to burn incense and worship Caesar--a massive social issue in their day--was what got the majority of the first and second century martyrs killed.
Imagine what would happen if we took this "absurd and naïve" view (Birks' words), that faith and politics shouldn't mix, further. Imagine a world where William Wilberforce kept his Christian convictions to himself and never took a stand against slavery. Imagine a world where Martin Luther King Jr. "kept to the gospel" and never confronted racial injustice. Imagine a world where all Christians withheld their voice and their vote from every election because they were doing important-church stuff and not worldly-politics stuff. Imagine a world where believers across the earth turned a blind eye to sex trafficking because, well, where's the verse telling us to put an end to sex trafficking?!
It sounds like Bloody Sunday to me. It sounds like a world with no salt or light, with only decay and darkness closing in on the voiceless, gutless, impotent so-called church.
Faith and politics are already mixing, whether you like it or not. I suggest we, the Church of Jesus, use our influence for righteousness, justice, and truth, as long as we have breath, with the gospel at the center of it all.
Comments