There was a convention this week. It convened those who shared one thing in common: Their political conversion story. After learning from secret sources about President Obama’s hidden plans to destroy America (via an email forward), they each had freed the Leftward blinders from their eyes and come to faith in the GOP.
Across the street, another convention ensued. Young political activists extolled their Millennial peers to remain above the political fray, to avoid the erroneous missteps of their overzealous parents. Their convention advocated for things that mattered. Justice and compassion were the only planks in their platform. “Jesus wasn’t a Democrat or a Republican,” they chanted with fervor.
The problem with this scenario is that nobody showed up for either convention. Imprudent conviction and aimless civility fall prey to the same captor: Neither works.
“People these days who are civil often lack strong convictions, and people with strong religious convictions often are not very civil. What we need is convicted civility.” – Richard Mouw (quoting Martin Marty)
You’ve seen how this works. A friend posts a sharply divisive comment. Annoyed, a bunch of other people post stuff about how they’re not going to lower themselves to cyberspace politics. Or, at a party, a friend creates an awkward silence by claiming Jesus couldn’t be a Republican because Republicans are indifferent about poverty. And the cool kids scoff and walk away, elevating themselves above the partisan nonsense.
Conviction.
This election matters, even in spite of its shortcomings. Yes: Both candidates grossly exaggerate their own successes and their opponents’ shortcomings, Yes: Fox News and MSNBC parrot their biases. Yes: It is Jesus, not political parties, that saves. But, political hermitry does nothing to advance what is good and right in our country, nor does it help soothe our imperfect political system.
Our country needs Christians to engage politically. We should care enough to not abstain. Abstention plagues my generation. When we shirk our responsibilities as citizens, we purport a spiritual reclusion that is anything but biblical. From Joseph to Daniel to Nehemiah, our faith heroes were beacons of conviction, serving within regimes far more corrupt than our own. Christians should care enough to demonstrate and proclaim our convictions by learning, discussing and voting. And we must extol civility while we do.
Civility.
Anger doesn’t compel. Condescension pushes your ideological counterparts farther away. Remember how you’ve never met any political converts who switched sides because of your sarcasm-laden Facebook posts? It’s akin to a boat race where you simultaneously throttle and shoot holes in the hull of your vessel.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve had two conversations with friends about their own political journeys. Both had journeyed from one side of the political spectrum to the other. And it wasn’t because of email forwards or absentee citizens who locked their principles in purposeless privacy. They changed because their friends cared enough to share their convictions with earnestness and charity. They are now both active politically, thoughtfully advocating for issues they understand and care about deeply.
There is an ideological divide in this election. President Obama and Governor Romney lead differently and uplift certain values above others. They hold different opinions on the role of federal government and on how to address our financial solvency. From abortion to marriage to entitlements to foreign policy to taxation: This vote matters. And it should especially matter to us. Christians: Our faith in Christ demands we lead by exuding firm conviction and by modeling remarkable civility.
For further reading.
- Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World, Richard Mouw [book]
- Politics and Culture, Tim Keller [article]
- City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner [book]
- A Brief Survival Guide for the Upcoming Political Onslaught, Matthew Lee Anderson [article]
- Renewing the City, Bob Lupton [book]
Chris, good, well thought-out post. Political discussion is a sticky situation, and I think you explained the balance well – not being a mute, but also not fighting everything. “shooting holes and going full throttle”
Thad – Thanks for the comment. My thoughts are merely borrowed from Mouw and others. I strongly recommend his book on the subject (which Taylor University gives to all graduating seniors who are political science majors, incidentally).
Great thoughts, Chris. This is something I have actually felt convicted of lately. Having convictions of non-violence and being a registered conscientious objector I have found it difficult to vote for who the next Commander & Chief will be and have thus not participated in any election. Subconsciously this has been an excuse for simply not engaging and staying informed. Like I said, I have felt convicted of this lately, and though I am unsure whether or not I will begin to vote, I indeed am committed to being a more informed and engaged individual.
Nick – As a conscientious objector, you have a unique set of challenges in voting that I can’t effectively speak to. I’m sure there have been volumes of materials published on the question of voting, specifically. To your point, however, voting is but a small (but important) slice of the role of the citizen. I wonder how the biblical models of Nehemiah, Daniel and Joseph speak to this? Again, I’m not the expert in this area. I’m sure John Howard Yoder or other prominent anabaptist theologians have already exegeted these examples for today’s context.
Thanks for the great thoughts, as usual. I have given Mouw’s book away to many a people myself. Civil discourse is one of the most important things we can recover, in politics or faith.
And, as one sarcastic facebook post-er, I find myself having to constantly remind myself of this too.
Sarah – Thanks for the comment. I’ve loved my political discussions with you over the years (truly). Let’s continue to sharpen one another in how we think and act politically.
Jesus may lead men He has called and designed to be leaders in their culture- the same way He placed Joseph, Moses, and Daniel in important roles in their governments. A great recent example of that was William Wilberforce.
What ruins the Church’s legitimate authority in our culture is when we choose, and passionately defend, the government structure to change culture. To Satan’s great delight, the Church can protest, vote, lobby, and even elect delegates while ignoring the One whom ultimately reigns in this world and the Church’s unique blessing of infinite power in corporate and individual prayer.
Christians need to participate in the political, philosophical, and scientific discourse in our culture- that is, after humbly acknowledging that we can do nothing for our generation unless God does the work (might Prohibition be a good example of Christians enacting legislation to influence culture into its herd that had much the opposite effect).
What change might happen in our country if Christians committed as much zeal to prayer and fasting for the Lord to work in their communities as they do to earthly means of political influence?
Tyler – This is true on so many levels. In James Davidson Hunter’s book, “To Change the World” …he talks about how politics, pragmatically, are “downstream” in culture. We need to be active citizens as Christians, but we also need to remember that our political realities are a mirror of our culture. Our culture is a product of who we are, which speaks so powerfully to the challenge you’ve issued. Thanks for your encouragement. And thanks for your tremendous service to our country and to freedom through your work in Afghanistan.