I have struggled with this issue for MANY years! If we, Christians, believe that the church is the visible sign of God's Kingdom here on earth, then how does that shape our relationship with our political world? If Jesus is Lord, and if I believe that Jesus showed us God's intentions for human relationships in the social, political, economic, ecological...etc., arenas of everyday life, then how does the church live this radical life in a "set apart" society that is fundamentally different from our society. Our world's politics is fueled and guided by greed, power, wealth, coercion and violence. All of these things which are detestable in the eyes of God.
Why are we content to play this game of power politics when we have been called by Christ to be His witnesses of the Kingdom that is not of this world; that the politics of Jesus does not play by the rules of the politics of this world. Or is this a moot point? Is it somehow unrealistic to believe that we can live in THIS world guided by the principles laid out by Jesus? Principles of non-violent resistance, loving enemies, sharing wealth and forgiving each other's debts and sins. Or are those merely set aside for personal acts of piety which have become more spiritual practices or inner dispositions than guidelines which shape our character and which in turn determine the rules of engagement in our socio-political realities? Barrack Obama was quoted as saying, "This country (USA) is still the last best hope on earth". How blasphemous can we get!? This truly speaks to an urgent need in North America's churches. Namely, the need to reclaim it's place as "other" than world; the community which follows the teachings of her Lord in all matters of life, not like Israel who went to other gods for comfort and guidance. The Hebrew scriptures called Israel a whore everytime this happened.
In the end, I tend toward the thought that, it doesn't really matter who leads the nation in which I happen to live at the moment. Afterall, are we not meant to be aliens in this world? Is that not one of the marks of the church? IN the world, not OF the world?
Andy
One thing to remember is that Christians vote every time we join together for worship - because worship is primarily a declaration of loyalty and allegiance to Christ our King.
ReplyDeleteAnd, at the same time, Christians all over the world live among peoples with rulers that request our participation in 'democracy' through the vote, through taxes, through dying (and killing) for the nation. When asked how God's people should respond to the Roman tax, Jesus told them to 'render to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, but to God that which belongs to God'.
The question that remains is whether or not 'the vote' is one of these things that Christians can 'render to Caesar', or is the vote a matter of complete allegiance? If it is a matter of complete allegiance, then I would say that Christians shouldn't vote during elections because of our worship and allegiance to Christ. On the other hand, a vote could also be construed differently. In a country that doesn't demand our ultimate allegiance (that we die or kill for it; after all, Canada still permits Conscientious Objector status), our vote can be see as the Christian contribution to us 'seeking the peace of the city' (Jeremiah 29).
This is my approach. I vote with the assumption that Christ is my King, not whoever's name is on the ballot. I vote in order to incrementally suggest small 'positive' adjustments in social, economic, judicial policy. For what purpose? As God's people in exile, Christians in the Church are called to 'seek the peace of the cities into which God has sent us into exile'. I want Canada to experience ever deepening expressions of Shalom. I vote to that end. The problem is that Shalom is all-encompassing and multi-faceted. This means that no one party is getting at the full picture of God's Shalom. In fact, it is the Church herself that is supposed to be a socio-political body that, ahead of the world's curb, anticipates the Shalom of God by now-already practicing the righteous ordering of God's Kingdom (in a broken, confessing, and humble way of course).
What this means for my voting practices is that I vote on issues rather than party. I vote with the hope of a minority government so that ruling parties are forced to take other's ideas as seriously as their own. In this way, I think that a broader government can take a more balanced approach rather than become stuck in their own ideology. The point of government is to serve the people rather than serve the sole ideology of one party.
Thanks for your thoughts on this brother Marco. The issue is still not easily resolved for me, however. When we vote on the issues, it seems to me that we are still trying in some ways to bring about a party which governs us toward a more Christian nation, but still uses coercive power and scare tactics to bring about desired outcomes. I feel as though by voting, we are trying to bring about the Kingdom of God, still using the fallen thrones of Caesar.
ReplyDeleteShould we not be more concerned with abandoning the way of the world and instead cultivate an alternative society as Jesus seemed to do? If the party I vote for ends up making good on some of the promises laid out throughout their campaign, I must still ask "at what cost?" I'm starting to wonder if some of these "Intentional Communities" have something that is critically missing in our Christian worldview.
Andy