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Christians and Politics

Many Christians believe that Christianity and electoral politics do not mix. The popular model would have us waiting for escape from this “vale of tears” or wringing our hands in observation of the “signs of the times” as we await the rapture. While others are more to the point: electoral politics and the work of culture in general, they say, is dirty stuff in which Christians, called to purity, should not sully themselves. So, different motivations, but the same end: isolationist occupation in the world.

But God does not call his Church to be a cultural eunuch. Clearly God wants us to obey him; he calls us out of darkness into light to do his will. But he calls us to do his will in our bodies and in the concrete processes of history. There is no escaping the fact that though our citizenship is in heaven the world is our temporary address. How shall we treat it? Shall we not pick up after ourselves? Or worse, shall we let our godless roommates trash the place while we sit by indifferent to their actions because we are too holy to care?

Perhaps it would help if we saw the question of Christians and politics as part of a larger question: that of the Christian’s relationship with the world. Jesus calls us “out of the world” only to send us back “into the world” as his ambassadors. What a great opportunity politics affords the Church to be just that: an ambassador for Christ.

As a forum for ministry, electoral politics allows us to pick up after our dirty roommates and after dirty selves. But let us remember that unless our effort is first one of reforming our own hearts and also that of our roommate’s heart from one of hatred of the landlord to one of love for him, our cultural work will have been for naught.

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  1. AnonymousAugust 29, 2010 at 2:42 PM

    Your post fits a Swedish very well, we have election day September 19

    R.Ö.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2010 at 8:55 AM

    Good evening Pastor, I like the way you perceived things regarding the right position of Christianity...

    Our Team Legato Music for Christ are fond of traveling to different places rendering our Love Songs for Jesus in whom we love most..

    Please pray for our Team, may we serve God's Calling in this Generation until the time we meet each other in Heaven.

    God Speed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John BarberSeptember 21, 2010 at 9:46 AM

    @ team legato. Thanks for the post. Will certainly pray for your team. God's speed to you as well. John...

    ReplyDelete

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