Comments on: Reading the News Through the Lens of Faith- Pt 5

By: Jenn

Jenn — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:04:55 +0000

I guess it feels good to know I’m not the only one struggling with this election… Not necessarily who to vote for, but just the way things are going. I’ve found myself getting pretty hopeless about it. I also had great hopes early on. A candidate or two that I was truly excited about. Now I find myself (again) getting ready to vote for the “lesser of evils”.

It is important, though. No matter how painful or frustrating it might be, I think it is part of our calling to vote, and to vote what we feel that God has put on our hearts.

Indeed, politics is not THE answer in any way. Only our Saviour is. But it is important, nonetheless. Even if I really don’t want it to be.

By: Darin

Darin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:48:34 +0000

One of the quintessential examples of God working through politics, I think, is in the life of William Wilberforce. Here was a Christian who used his political influence over many years to finally end the British slave trade. One of my favorite scenes in the movie Amazing Grace is where Wilberforce is offered the choice to either do “God’s work” or to do some good for his fellow man. Then someone says, “Why not both?” Sure, politics can’t offer salvation in the ultimate sense, but God’s rule is over all of creation, both church and state, secular and sacred. And God has ordained the state with a specific function, namely promoting justice and restraining evil. So when Christians get involved in politics, it’s not to impose some kind of “theocracy”. Christians aren’t calling the state to be the church. They’re calling the state to be the state!

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:25:10 +0000

I’m tempted to start a series on the two kingdoms some time in the future. This is such an important issue and such a difficult one to navigate today. I appreciate the comments because they do hit the nail precisely on the head where so often go too far in one direction or the other. As John’s quote points out, politics is part of the equation, but it is not The Answer (which is where many people go too far, suggesting God can use government to create some kind of heaven on earth/utopia). The ultimate source of hope is Jesus Christ and none other. Politics is simply one of a number of pieces that God uses to guide the world we live in today and hopefully even make it a little better. The best we can hope for out of this world and the government’s influence is a little taste of that which is to come.
Paul does a good job of drawing us to the important reasons we want to be involved. God has some very important roles for government to play, from protecting the natural law all the way up to ensuring that the church can speak it’s voice to our world. I like the emphasis on prayer at the end. While our votes are important, let’s not forget to apply our spiritual voices to the matters of this world too.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:48:31 +0000

I think it’s very important that we as Christians pay close attention to our government, and this, for better or worse, includes the world of politics. Our different government entities (at the local, state, and federal levels), have a very real impact on our lives and the lives of others. This impact includes such things as:

- Our ability to speak freely and to congregate.
- Our ability to give charitably.
- Our ability to care for others, both within our country and around the world.
- The protection of life (both born and unborn).
- The way in which our country impacts the lives of others around the world.

And it’s not just the government as an entity that matters. Our government leaders (if they are truly leading) can impact the tone set throughout the country. The positions a leader takes on race, religion, sexuality, world relations, etc. can influence others by bringing the issue out into the public forum or by conveying a message about the acceptability of certain behaviors or beliefs.

So, yes, I think it’s very important to select our leaders carefully, to speak out on issues that are important to us as Christians, and to carefully consider the impact that legislation has on us and others. But I also think that it is very important to always pray for our leaders, even when we don’t agree with them, and to pray that God’s will would be carried out throughout the world.

By: John

John — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:29:13 +0000

Politics is about people and how they deal with the created world, so - of course - this is of great concern to us & to God. But remember that Politics, as we know it, is not THE answer. I liked what Eugene Cho said here on his blog,

"And who would have thought that Pastors would play such a pivotal and controversial role in these elections: Jeremiah Wright, Rod Parsley, John Hagee, Michael Pfleger, and Eugene Cho. Pretty unbelievable on so many counts. Just remember that while the politics is important, it is not the answer: POLITICS IS NOT THE ANSWER. Rather, it is not THE answer. Politics is a process, structure and medium by which we can do much good as a society rather than much harm but many, I believe, can fall astray in thinking that politics, policies, and politicians can provide the salvation for the nations. It certainly has its purpose and must be used accordingly and wisely."