This past month there have been many different
ways that people have been reaching out to me, to support me as a pastor
leading a congregation in uncertain times. I’ve gotten video messages, a book
on prayer and meditation, cards, invitation for Zoom conversations and
more. I will be honest and say I am stretched, I am tired, I’m sad and
lonely. But I’m also renewed, hopeful and engaged in the new work that opens up
my imagination and creativity. Beyond the tremendous sadness and grief of lives
lost and the constant back and forth of how to handle the pandemic, I believe
for the church, we now have more possibilities than we ever had before. And I
see the blessing in this time. For me, however, the difficulty of this exile is
preaching the gospel in a country that is viciously politically divided.
Whether we like to admit it or not, the Bible
and the church are political. The Bible is a collection of stories, many of
which teach people how to live in a society as one people. The gospels tell us
stories of Jesus who came to help the people being oppressed by the Roman
Empire; stories of Jesus teach us to be disciples in a world of injustice. The
church is a collection of people who follow a church constitution and bylaws,
who are run by a church council, where every member gets a vote and majority
rules. Though we would like to not be thought of as political, we very much
are. The one thing the church should not be is partisan, because we follow the
law of God.
The difficulty of following the Gospel and God’s commands is there is a power over the American people called patriotism; this idea that we must pledge our allegiance to a flag and our country. We vote people into office based on a two party system. Though I realize there are alternatives to the two systems, those options are rarely voted in. We have become a two party system in which people declare themselves as part of one or the other, and stick with those party lines across the board. It makes the voting system simpler, one does not have to necessarily research particular candidates and what their morals are, how they would take care of the people, and what priorities they have as elected servants. You can pick red or blue and make assumptions on where they stand on particular issues in a cut and dry approach. You do not need to understand their “grey” areas, their morals or beliefs. When elected servants cast their votes, they don’t need to grapple with their convictions or morals or what they feel they can live with, they vote the party line to keep this two party system a sacred process.
And what patriotism and party affiliation has
done is squeezed out Jesus. Following the first commandment to love God has
been replaced with the first amendment. The work of Jesus is now seen through a
democratic or republican lens. Issues that should be loving your neighbor
issues, are no longer, they are either a democratic or republican issue. We are
no longer looked upon as Christian disciples; we are either democrats or
republicans. The word Christian and patriot are so closely linked, that being a
follower of Jesus no longer exists. What easily glides off peoples lips are
partisan talking points, or counter arguments instead of Scripture and the
words of Jesus. These labeled words of "Conservative Christians" or the "Christian
Left" have taken on this whole partisan terminology and embraces this idea that
everything, even Jesus has a side.
Jesus is on the side of justice, Jesus is on the
side of the oppressed, and Jesus should be in front of you, if you are claiming
to be a Christian. If you can’t find words from Jesus that support your stance,
you aren’t following Jesus. And I’m not saying you have to, I’m saying if you
want to follow Jesus, you cannot be consumed with patriotism and party affiliation. If you want to
follow Jesus, the commandment to love God must always come first. It must come
first in your heart, in your family, in your career, in your finances and
giving, in your community, in the voting booth.
Until this country moves away from the two party
system that people buy into before anything else, preaching the Gospel will
forever be the most difficult part of being a pastor. If there is no place, not even
church, where we are able to recognize that we are bringing our partisan
loyalties to the communion table, and set them down at the feet of Jesus, I
don’t know where that would ever happen.
Jesus was a humble servant. He believed everyone who came to him asking for help. He especially recognized the women and children because they were being treated as property in Roman Society. He reached out to the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned, the sick, the stranger. He taught us to love our neighbors with compassion and understanding. If you are standing for those things, because they all translate to things happening in our world today, then you are following Jesus. If you make exceptions, if you judge others and therefore deny them support, if you base your compassion for people on laws, if you see someone hurting and you fail to be Jesus in the flesh to them, you are not following Jesus.
Jesus was executed by the Roman government by request for not following religious laws. According to the Gospel of Luke, he was
crucified with two robbers beside him, in which he asks God for forgiveness for
them before death because they “do not know that they are doing.” He did all of
this while hanging from a cross as people jeered at him and celebrated his
Crucifixion. If you claim to follow Jesus, I hope you’d choose to be one of the
people who celebrated Jesus’ resurrection, not one of those who celebrated his
death.
I hope you want to resurrect too, and leave
behind your label of Republican or Democrat.
