It came up last night at Prayer meeting. This morning it was
a topic of conversation over breakfast. I hear people saying things like, "Our nation is more divided than it has ever been." I'll get the objection out of the way first. Come on, our nation was once so divided that part of it seceded. Those of us who lived through the civil-rights conflict era saw whole neighborhoods put to the torch. Disagreements over the Vietnam war led to the disruption of a national political convention and the involvement of US troops. Maybe we are not more divided than ever, but there is clearly a schism in the American public, and what concerns me most is that this jagged chasm runs right through the body of Christ.
On the one hand I hear church-people hurling invective at the other side; each verbal volley only serves to widen the gap. Then there are those who sound a lot like the
late Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?" They offer no real solutions other than another chorus of Kumbaya, as if real healing can be based on ignoring the wound. We can't
just get along, but we can take steps that will make it possible for those of us with different political persuasions to work together for greater good.
Politics is inherently a messy business. As I look back over my voting history I see that clearly. I think Richard Nixon was the first presidential candidate I voted for. Knowing what I know, now, would I do that again? He is but one example. We never have an absolutely pure candidate for whom to vote. We never know all that we wish we knew. Casting a vote is more like throwing hand-grenades than shooting a rifle. If you get it close, most of the time, that's pretty good.
Talk of the future of the Supreme Court, and legacy can lead us to believe that this election has ultimate, eternal consequences. How we cast our vote is important, but it's not ultimate. The Sovereign of the Universe is not on the ballot. He is secure in that position.
I have found over the years that often times people who come to
different political conclusions than I do, do so for credible reasons. I ought to hear them, especially when they are my sisters and brothers in the Lord. After I listen I may still very-well disagree, but often I'll find that they have a point that is worth considering. A few days ago a friend pointed me to
this article (Warning: this article contains language I don't approve), which is an example of that point. I ought not assume that someone is an idiot, a bigot, liberal, or (insert your own invective) until I give them an opportunity to explain their conclusion.
I figure if there had been an election in the First-Century Roman world that slaves and masters would likely have been interested in political platforms that were radically different. Yet in the churches of the day there were both bond and free, Jew and Gentile, and Romans from the conquering class along-side representatives of the conquered. Those love-feasts,
1 Corinthians 11, likely included some rhetoric that was anything but lovely, but somehow they made it work. So must we.
Our political process involves real differences that are important. We ought not to ignore them, but we must never forget that our being known as followers of Christ, Christians, is always more important than whether we are Independents, Green, Libertarian, Democrat, or Republican. Undeniably, our nation is divided. The church shouldn't be. We can't
just get along, but we can get along if we work at it.
It’s STTA.
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