If I were to entitle this post anything else, I suppose it would be something like, “The Last Will and Testament of a Young Republican.”  That’s right; I was once a Young Republican a long time ago. But things are different now and it doesn’t have anything to do with age.  Now before my “Lefty” friends out there get all excited, you need to know that I’m not defecting to your political party either. Rather I’m pressing the cancel button on the whole system as far as my involvement goes.  While this doesn’t mean I’m never going to vote on issues I believe in, it does mean a drastic and purposeful decision to refrain from direct political involvement and commentary.  Even on my Face Book page I’ve listed the “Kingdom of Heaven” for my political views.  As followers of Christ we have to keep in mind that we’re part of His eternal Kingdom which supersedes the greatest Kingdoms of men.  But is this stand of total avoidance too radical?  After all, it would seem from the scripture that politics is a freedom issue.  We even noted in Part I. of this series that we can’t separate the sacred from the secular and this would apply to politics as well.  Yet considering the transitory nature of this realm, I do believe that this is an issue that Christians should seriously wrestle with.  As for me, I’ve drawn the line in the sand to abstain and here are at least four reasons why.

1. Political Parties are Incomplete.  While I tend to lean toward a more conservative Republican bent, the fact of the matter is that neither major political party has it all right.  They both have some huge things going for them, but neither one really possess a corner on the market of truth.  A big issue of me is the sanctity of life which sits well with the Republican stand in their anti-abortion platform.  But on the other end, the Democratic Party tends to defend the rights of the little guy and the poor which is something that the Bible also speaks about.  So to claim allegiance with just one party over another is to ignore issues that are Biblical and endorsed by the other side.

 2. Political Parties are Divisive.  This is an easy one to see from my perspective as I have friends on both sides of the political arena who claim allegiance first to Christ.  The problem is that we often get hot and bothered by particular legislations and build walls against each other that eventually turn into stone throwing.  I like what one guy said on FB a while back that most often Republicans paint all Democrats as being “morally corrupt and loose” while Democrats position all Republicans as being “ignorant fools with unprogressive thinking”.  As for me in my calling and position of proclaiming Christ and the Kingdom of God, I run the risk of alienating people who need the love of Christ over issues that are not eternal.  While I may believe that I am logically right on some of these political issues, they are minimal in light of lost souls and eternity.

 3. Politics are Inadequate.  I’ve noted this before, but the sad reality is that politics are not the real fix for society.  Yes, we need laws to avoid chaos and as illustrated in the second installment God even ordained government.  But the best set of rules and regulations in the world can never change a man’s heart.  I remember visiting with some missionary friends in Australia a number of years ago and the latest news that day was a guy who went on a rampage with a butcher knife.  Now here’s the significance.  Australians believe in huge gun control and you basically can’t get a fire arm there unless you own a mammoth sized ranch.  But yet if someone wants to kill another human being, they’re going to find a way to do it.  Their Anti-gun policy did nothing to deter a murderous heart.  Here we see why Jesus said virtually nothing about political philosophy or the Roman Government.  There were a lot of really bad things going on in his day, but Jesus came to change the heart and elevate it to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.  When a heart is transformed it will naturally do what is good for its neighbor whether there is a law in place or not.

 4. Politics are too Tempting for Me.  A major reason for my decision to run away from political dialogue is simply that it’s too tempting for me.  I can easily get carried away and miss the big picture and point.  I can lose focus and miss or blow a chance to convey what is eternal and really important.  So I try to bite my tongue and refocus as much as I can in order to stay on track. I suppose it would be similar to a recovering alcoholic staying clear of a bar.  It’s just not worth it.

Well, that’s something to start with.  How do you intersect with this issue?

Tonight the President of the United States is slated to give his annual State of The Union Address.  I’m not sure which one will be more fun to watch; his speech or the bantering on Face Book that will follow.  When it comes to dialogue on politics, it’s interesting to see all the Christ following friends I have who sit on opposite sides of the political aisle.  They claim allegiance to Christ, but are polls apart in politics.  But that will be part of our discussion next week when we wind this subject down and look at some of the personal reasons why I don’t swim in this pool much anymore.  It is also worth noting that Jesus actually spoke very little about politics even though Conservatives and Liberals claim Him as their guy at times.  In fact, we see virtually nothing of Jesus giving a commentary on the Roman government of his day.  That’s because the mission of Christ is beyond that of any temporal regime.  Yet we noted in Part I. that as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven we’re not to cloister ourselves away from society, but rather to influence it.  So what does the Bible say about our relationship to the Kingdoms of this world?   Here are some pointers we should consider and while my list below is not exhaustive, it’s something to start with. 

 1. We should Understand the God ordained Role for Government.

Romans 13:1-7  is a great jumping off point to start with and it makes at least two major points.  The first one is simply that it is God who sets up governments and deposes them.  Even at his trial before Pilate, Jesus let the governor know that he would have no power over him if it were not given to him from above.  The second observation is that the reason for government is one of maintaining order.  The best illustration of this would be our local traffic laws.  With no system of traffic lights dictating who goes first, we would have chaos in the streets.  The rub at times though is in defining what “maintaining order” actually looks like.  The more liberal interpretation would mean that the government is to provide for our needs and thus ensure tranquility.  The more conservative understanding is one of the authorities merely keeping the bad guys off the streets and basically leaving the law abiding citizens alone.

 2. We are to Submit to the Governments placed over us.

Again referring back to Romans 13, Paul clearly states that we are not to rebel against the government.  Likewise the apostle Peter noted that we are to submit ourselves to human authorities.  Jesus himself taught that we are to pay taxes when mandated and to “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  The only exception that we see to this command is in situations where the government calls upon us to live in such a way that is directly opposed to God and his Word.  One such example of that is found in Acts chapter 4 where Peter and John refused the Sanhedrin’s demand that they cease preaching in the name of Christ. 

3. We are to Pray for those in Government.

Writing to the young evangelist, Timothy, the apostle Paul urged him and the first Christ followers to pray for “Kings and all those in authority.”   The point of this exhortation is not that the authorities would see things our way, but rather that we might find in our society the ability to live “peaceful and quiet lives.”  It occurred to me a number of years ago that by living in such a community it is much easier to proclaim Christ than when living in seasons of chaos.  Another reason for these prayers is that while we may not always like those in government over us, God still extends grace to them just like he does to us.  Christ also told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

4. We are free to Participate and be a Responsible.

For me and most of our readers, being born in America or other Democratic countries offers us the unique opportunity to have a say on how our government is run. That is a luxury not found in every nation on the earth today.  As noted in Part I. of this series, some people are actually called by God to be public servants.  If that be the case, then they are to work at it with all their hearts and struggle with maintaining the right motives.  Paul challenged the Colossian Christians to work at whatever they do “with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” 

5. We have to Remember that Politics are not the Ultimate Answer.

A huge debate these days is the option of a government mandated medical program which some support and others fear.  But the real root of this issue is simple greed and not law.  I did something I haven’t done in a long time; I made a doctor’s appointment today for later on in the week.  In setting this thing up the woman on the other end of the line never asked me why I wanted to come in, but she sure wanted to know who my insurance company was.  It all came down to money and that’s an issue that no law can change.  The deeper issues facing the United States or any country cannot be solved by politics no matter how good they are.  The answer is found only in a changed heart which is why Jesus came.  When people are transformed on the inside, they naturally begin to do what is good whether there is a law mandating right action or not.  That’s where the ultimate answer rests.  Yes, it is still the love of Jesus Christ that will change a life and a nation. 

What else would you add?

Yesterday while driving back from a preaching assignment I spent some time running the dial and came across a talk show detailing some of the big headlined Town Hall meetings across the US. If you haven’t picked up a newspaper or watched any of the media coverage recently, you might not know about the stories of the rebellious town hall meetings that have been erupting over President Obama’s health care reform. Some of the meetings were calm and orderly. But for others there was yelling, speaking out of turn, and even some evictions.

As for my opinion of the health reform, I tend to lean towards less government as I lived in the former Soviet Union for a while and have seen the “ills” entailed within an atheist socialistic system. But I wasn’t present at any of the town hall meetings. I didn’t watch any of the CNN stories, nor did I follow my elected leader’s websites for the latest on Obama’s strategy. Instead, I listened to it for the first time on talk radio and after a few minutes I actually CHANGED THE DIAL.

It wasn’t that I was apathetic toward America or its future. It wasn’t that I was being an irresponsible citizen by being uninformed, and it certainly wasn’t that I was unwilling to form an educated opinion about the issue. I changed the dial because of a growing peace in my heart that as a Christ follower I am part of a greater Kingdom than America. I am a part of the Kingdom of God. As a Christian in America I am to be responsible and obey and honor the authorities. I can get involved in the process. But the peace that passes understanding in all this is the assurance that God rules in the affairs of men. It all reminds me of Daniel 4:7 where the prophet states that, “the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the Kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.”

What was your take on the town hall meetings? Did anyone have any personal experience? How do you balance being an American and a Kingdom of God citizen?