By: Jeremy BerryI sat on the edge of the bed; my heart was pounding as I watched my hope seemingly unravel. There was a deep anxiety and even fear in what I witnessed. For months I heard that this could happen, though I never thought it would. Of course, only being 17 years of age, what could I do? I stared into the 13-inch television, waiting, sweating, pacing, anything to keep me from yelling. The rest of family was asleep. How could they sleep!? How could they not care about what was happening? Then suddenly, the inner chaos went silent. I almost stopped breathing as all of my senses were keenly glued to the news report. A little after 2 a.m., my hope was restored, my future again bright…Bush had won Florida.
I am not sure of how or why I became interested in politics as a teenager. I knew very little about the political system. Had you collected my positions on topics, surely there would not have been a consistent vein that connected any ideas. The truth is simpler—I was a sinner looking to belong. While some found spouses and others found their gods, I found my own reason for getting up in the morning. Politics became my everything. I was put on mission, which was to convert others to my political team. Bill O’Reilly was my preacher, his segments my sermons, and all of it was to fight the good fight.
It would not be long after this, that I would convert to the Christian faith. My idolization of political allegiance remained. Sadly, there were few who would call it out, or would address what was clearly my idol.
The Bible says quite a bit about government. In fact, let me be clear, God cares about government, policy, and even how you vote. There is a fine line between desiring God-honoring policy and idolizing men, parties, and founding documents. These feelings were normative among many Christians. We sang of God’s faithfulness, of his power, of his supremacy over all things, yet we feared the blues while the blues feared the reds. The problem with the unbelievers, we knew, was not their sin but their affiliation. We knew better, but our actions spoke quite differently.
My problem was not my interest in politics; the problem was that my hope was completely laid at its altar. I was often worried and stressed, consuming news as much as possible, and even hating others in the Church who differed in opinion. I judged their spiritual maturity based on how big they wanted government. There were a few truths of which I needed to be reminded and of which I still need to be reminded if I want to steer clear from being divisive and alone or feeling defeated.
JUSTICE WILL BE HIS
The reason we (red and blue) are passionate about politics is because we want justice. This is a worthy goal and a Christian goal (Isa. 1:17). Witnessing justice should cause us to rejoice (Pro. 21:5) and witnessing injustice should ignite a righteous, controlled anger. Though, what we often see is that the Church becomes distracted from its primary mission (Matt. 28:16-20). Even in our own church’s history there have been those who left the church and still stay severed from God’s body because of their personal passion over the vaccine. In doing so, their political stance has caused them to abandon God’s plan and mission. What has won the day is not God’s design for how we are to be the body of Christ, using our gifts for one another, or our call to gather and disciple. Rather, these people pull away and let those who differ be damned.
When I see the world, I too see great injustice, but my hope for the future is not broken like it once was. I have not grown in apathy; I have grown in trust that when God says, “Justice is mine,” it is the truth (Rom. 12:19). We do what we can, but the world’s refusal to submit to God’s moral law does not cause me to lose hope. Injustice should draw us together rather than be an excuse for division. Any political disagreement that we have within the local body should not be met with vitriol, but with discussion, curiosity, and even a friendly debate. There is no need for screaming or hateful conduct that brings shame on the Church or assuming the worst in other saints. What I have to remember is that I am not my political positions, and neither are you.
REMEMBER YOUR BROTHER
It is easy for us to replace the local church we know with the national narrative. Often people will complain about the Church, but when pressed, their complaints are not about any individual or person, but they are about the others—the faceless slews of people referenced to by the news. Inevitably, the frustration over people they don’t know begins to infect their overall perception of the Church.
We have had people leave our church within the same week for being both too conservative and too liberal. I know people who seemed to have abandoned the faith because they believe the national narrative. It is heartbreaking, but it reveals idolatry. There are hypothetical political lines or actions by leadership that would cause me to leave a church, but never should we let polls speak for our pastors. Never should we demand that the local body be subject to our political persuasion as a perquisite for fellowship.
GOVERNMENTS RISE AND FALL
There is a truth that is hard to comprehend, which is that God rules over the nations (Psa. 22:28). Throughout human history, God has raised up nation after nation for his purposes. Sometimes, the rise of a nation is for judgment, and sometimes it is to make God’s name known. The rise and fall of nations are in accordance with his divine will and purpose. God used Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and Israel in different ways. No nation lasts forever, and every nation is a tool to be used by God.
Part of the problem is the dual citizenship that Christians carry. We are firmly placed in God’s kingdom yet still live under man’s authority. We must have an awareness of the extremes of both, and how they may put you in an unhealthy place. By only embracing God’s kingdom, you neglect the mission of reaching people. If you only overly embrace the kingdom of man, you lose hope and direction. The key is priority. Our identity is in God’s kingdom. Our marching orders come from God’s kingdom. Our hope in a future comes from God’s kingdom. It is God’s kingdom that provides perspective and direction. The mission simply takes place in and around the earthly kingdom.
What is easy to forget, is that the nations (even our nation) are not eternal. Our nation will fall and will be a footnote in the history of eternity. Thus, our government, nation, flag—these are temporary. The temporary is not unimportant, it just isn’t supreme.
Be wary of those who offer a hope devoid of Christ. Watch for the those who stir up divisiveness. Watch for those who only charge the cheap price of allegiance. Remember that our allegiance is to one God. Our hope is in one Christ—not just for today, but for the future.