A POST-ELECTION CONFESSION
So it’s the morning after the election. Some people, no doubt, woke today up celebrating, others with a sense of doom and still others just relieved the whole thing is over. Many have been bloodied and have bloodied others in the fight for their party and candidate. This morning, however, the decision has been made and there is no going back.
All of this causes me to wonder how we will remember this election season. Will there be any regret over how we have acted? Will we wish we could take back our toxic words and nasty insults we said to someone who voted differently? Will we care about the fractured relationships that came about as a result of political differences?
My guess is few will live with any regret. As the thinking goes, all is fair is love and war – and now, it seems, politics too. My prediction is we will carry on as usual neglecting all the things said and done in the name of politics, whether they were right or wrong.
For too many, this hostility is worth it. In their minds, there is too much at stake to play nice or fair. Over the last several months many have claimed this election will determine the march of history and that it is pivotal with regard to our children’s future. With all of this on the line we need to take the gloves off, and make no apologies for the results.
But what if we are mistaken? Is it possible we have made far too much of this election and the role it will play in our world? What if the results of this election mean comparatively little when we consider the scope of human history?
For some it is hard to think this way, because they truly believe the hope of the world rests on the future of America. They speak as though America itself is the vehicle through which God will bring his renewal, restoration and redemption to this world of ours. It is as though they have placed the United States of America on the mantles of their hearts in the same way ancients placed idols on the mantles in their homes.
But what will happen in this world of ours when the United States is no longer a country? Will the world then be without hope? We cannot forget America is a country that, like all countries, will one day disappear.
Our great hope is that the Kingdom of Heaven will continue on with, in spite of and (at some point) without America. This reality ought to teach us that the United States is not the best hope for this world of ours, nor is it the greatest force for peace and good. America is a global, military superpower that, like many superpowers before it, often invokes the name of God and uses religion for its special interests and benefit.
No earthly government, including America, can legislate the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. That can only happen through people like you and me as we are empowered by the Spirit of God.
This embrace of America as the greatest hope for our world points to the trust we have put in an earthly empire – often to the exclusion of the hope filled gospel of Jesus. The call placed on the people of God is to place their trust in him alone, and nothing else. We must never forget kingdom citizens are called to pledge allegiance to the Kingdom of Heaven and not the United States of America. And quite frankly, we are not to hold dual allegiance.
This is the sentiment stated in Psalm 20, when the Psalmist wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7 NIV). Perhaps a good 21st Century American paraphrase would be, “Some trust in Democrats and some in Republicans, but we trust in the good news of the Kingdom that Jesus preached.”
It’s the morning after the election. Perhaps the best thing the people of God can do is not revel in celebration, live with a sense of doom or even express relief that the election process is over.
Maybe the best thing we can do is to kneel alongside one another – as brothers and sisters of the same family – and confess the hope and allegiance we have given to this country of ours to the exclusion of Jesus and his Kingdom. Perhaps we need to confess to one another that we have allowed the politics of earthly empire to drive a wedge between us as the people of God. Maybe we need to seek forgiveness for the toxic words we have spoken about others and to one another, rather than express the love of Jesus for all people.
It is time to take back our heart, mind, soul and strength that has been held captive by America, and place them in the hands of God. From this place, we can then live out the next four years in America rooted in the Kingdom of God. From that place we can express the truest and best hope for our world - one that will outlast any earthly kingdom.
This is an excerpt from a longer article in Relevant Magazine. You can read it here.
ELECTION DAY THOUGHTS
My friend Tom sent me and essay he wrote regarding the election. Here is an especially insightful excerpt:
"Recently I re-read an observation of Thomas Merton – one he made over 50 years ago and that still applies. He said, “When the smoke clears and all the bodies are underground, the situation will remain essentially the same: a minority of the wealthy and strong who are in power will exploit all the others for their own ends. The only influence that can really upset injustice and inequality is the spiritual power that breathes through men and women of deep faith, and through the renewing of participation in the Life that is the Light of all humanity.”
I’m reminded of the passage in 1 Chronicles that says only a change of heart among the people of God will heal their land ... The path to a better world doesn’t take the form of any political ideology. You and I and the spiritual power that lies within each of us is the path to a more loving, compassionate, generous, just and equitable planet. May it be so in all of us."
Powerful words. Thank you, Tom.
ANGER, FACEBOOK AND THE VIOLENCE ELECTION SEASON
My friend Drew said the only thing worse than watching the political debates is looking at Facebook after the debates. He’s right. Facebook is a bad habit most of the time, but add in political sound bites and it is only gets worse.
During this election season I have witnessed more hatred, anger, venom, threats, arguments and hostility in a way I have not seen before. Perhaps it has always been out there, and Facebook has just given us an easier way to spew our toxic words to the masses.
Beyond Facebook, I have received emails asking me to watch or read certain nasty political commentary. Those who have sent these unsolicited emails have filled the page with all kinds of ugly words about one candidate or party. Some of these emails and comments have even attacked me personally for not saying enough publicly about a candidate or party.
A VIEWPOINT ON POLITICS
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| Photo courtesy of Relevant Magazine |
Recently, Tony Campolo had a discussion with Shane Claiborne about how the people of God should engage in politics ... and they allowed us to listen in on the conversation. This is an important conversation to be had. Too often we involve ourselves in the political process with little understanding of how we are involving ourselves.
Perhaps we need to take a moment, stop and think about life in the Kingdom of God and the culture and politics of empire. This article is a first step in doing so. Feel free to read the article featured in Relevant and then share some of your own thoughts.
The conversation begins with Campolo ...
TONY CAMPOLO: Shane, I have a question to ask that may make you squirm a little bit. From hearing you talk and reading your books, you often seem to suggest that Christians not participate in the political process, and that political activism is somewhat futile. Have I understood your position correctly?
SHANE CLAIBORNE: The question for me is not are we political, but how are we political? We need to be politically engaged, but peculiar in how we engage. Jesus and the early Christians had a marvelous political imagination. They turned all the presumptions and ideas of power and blessing upside down.
+ Continue Reading
TONY CAMPOLO: Shane, I have a question to ask that may make you squirm a little bit. From hearing you talk and reading your books, you often seem to suggest that Christians not participate in the political process, and that political activism is somewhat futile. Have I understood your position correctly?
SHANE CLAIBORNE: The question for me is not are we political, but how are we political? We need to be politically engaged, but peculiar in how we engage. Jesus and the early Christians had a marvelous political imagination. They turned all the presumptions and ideas of power and blessing upside down.
+ Continue Reading
KID CUDI CHANNELS THE TEACHER
This Sunday we will begin our study of the book of Ecclesiastes. The opening lines of the book are:
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
This sentiment is captured brilliantly by Kid Cudi in his video for "Pursuit of Happiness." In it, he is both a rap artist and the Teacher. He hits the nail on the head. Showing that all things, in the end, cannot fill the void. At the end of the video he shows that everything is meaningless.
Compare Cudi's video with the words of Malcolm Muggeridge who said:
“There is something ridiculous and even quite indecent in an individual claiming to be happy. Still more a people or a nation making such a claim. The pursuit of happiness… is without any question the most fatuous which could possibly be undertaken. This lamentable phrase 'the pursuit of happiness' is responsible for a good part of the ills and miseries of the modern world.
“The truth is that a lost empire, lost power and lost wealth provide perfect circumstances for living happily and contentedly in our enchanted island. I can say that I never knew what joy was like until I gave up pursuing happiness, or cared to live until I chose to die. For these two discoveries I am beholden to Jesus.”
We will reflect on this and more on Sunday.
The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
This sentiment is captured brilliantly by Kid Cudi in his video for "Pursuit of Happiness." In it, he is both a rap artist and the Teacher. He hits the nail on the head. Showing that all things, in the end, cannot fill the void. At the end of the video he shows that everything is meaningless.
Compare Cudi's video with the words of Malcolm Muggeridge who said:
“There is something ridiculous and even quite indecent in an individual claiming to be happy. Still more a people or a nation making such a claim. The pursuit of happiness… is without any question the most fatuous which could possibly be undertaken. This lamentable phrase 'the pursuit of happiness' is responsible for a good part of the ills and miseries of the modern world.
“The truth is that a lost empire, lost power and lost wealth provide perfect circumstances for living happily and contentedly in our enchanted island. I can say that I never knew what joy was like until I gave up pursuing happiness, or cared to live until I chose to die. For these two discoveries I am beholden to Jesus.”
We will reflect on this and more on Sunday.
WHAT IS TRUTH? PART 2
Perhaps the biblical writers were more concerned with lived truth. Consider these words of Paul in Colossians,
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.” (Colossians2.2-4)
Paul is obviously concerned about clever arguments that could deceive and lead others away from truth. However, his answer is not arming the troops with the weapons of apologetics and walking them through a ten-point theological statement.
No, his concern is that the Church be “united in love.” It is through this act that understanding comes. Not that understanding why we believe what we believe is bad or wrong, but for Paul it is not primary. For Paul, the truth livedis primary.
We are so enamored with information, but we can forget we are called to live the truth. Not just know a bunch of facts. Often when an argument erupts within the Church over theology; people line up on either side of the issue to argue for their truth. Yet in arguing what both sides call “biblical truth” at times we end up being very unbiblical.
Both sides call names, make judgments on the other, and speak harshly in their criticisms. While there are truth claims on both sides, they come through the lived untruth of those involved in the debate. Which begs an entirely different set of questions about truth.
Perhaps it would do us good to consider what we need when it comes to the truth. It seems that many are hungry to see the people of God to embody the truth. Perhaps this would be a compelling picture of the truth. One that would appeal to the hearts of others.
Consider this from the research-based book UnChristian, by David Kinnaman. He writes, “… as we probed why young people had come to such [negative] conclusions [about the church], I was surprised how much their perceptions were rooted in specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches. When they labeled Christians as judgmental this was not merely spiritual defensiveness. It was frequently the result of truly ‘unChristian’ experiences. We discovered that the descriptions that young people offered of Christianity were more thoughtful, nuanced, and experiential than expected."
Most do not have negative feelings about the Church because of our truth claims. They are not leaving the Church because of our reasoning. Many leave because the truth they see lived is not the truth that they have heard proclaimed.
Perhaps our foundation is skewed. Our first attempt is to get people in and load them with information so they can keep their belief system in line. None of this is necessarily bad - but maybe it is not primary. Maybe our first - and perhaps most important - truth claim is the life we live.
WHAT IS TRUTH? PART 1
“What is truth?” If you went around asking that question there would be as many answers as there were people asked.
Some believe there is no truth, some believe truth is what you make it, some believe truth is clearly found in the Bible, some believe truth is what you can see, and some believe objective propositional statements that articulate truth are the truth.
Within this wide spectrum there is much debate. One thing many seem to miss however is the experience and reality surrounding any truth claim. All people in all places bring their social, economic, ethnic and cultural understanding into their opinion of truth.
The importance of understanding this cannot be understated. Many in the Church believe all truth is in the Bible, and therefore they come to the Bible to find the truth. However, what often happens is they ignore all the lenses they use when they come to the Bible. Many never acknowledge their life experience.
As a result, what has happened (in part) is they have developed anywhere between 9 to 14 distinct theological statements that state truth plainly and clearly. They claim these statements have come directly from the Bible.
But some disagree. One group may make a truth claim based on Scripture, but then another group will make an opposing claim based on Scripture. Who is right? Is there any hope of finding the truth?
Sometimes if feels like the final decision about what can be known, and therefore true, resides within man’s ability to know and articulate the truth – or at least their version of it.
Many spend a great deal of their time working at deepening and developing their understanding of the truth they glean from the Bible. The more they learn the better they are able to teach others. Beyond just learning the facts, is learning how to defend them and prove opposing truth wrong.
Many spend a great deal of their time working at deepening and developing their understanding of the truth they glean from the Bible. The more they learn the better they are able to teach others. Beyond just learning the facts, is learning how to defend them and prove opposing truth wrong.
But what if objective truth and the defense of it was not the main concern of the Bible? Is it possible the biblical writers were more concerned with something else? If they were then we have to ask serious questions about how we approach the Bible.
THE FLIP SIDE OF FORGIVENESS
From my most recent article on Relevant Magazine ...
It’s often been said that holding on to resentment is like drinking poison and expecting it to kill someone else.
But we’re rarely fond of the alternative. On the surface, forgiveness can be very unsatisfying. It’s easier to imagine methods of retribution for those who have wounded us rather than forgive them. They may not feel better afterward, but we might.
These thoughts and more were running through my head as I drove back on the country roads somewhere around 1 a.m. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get in my car and drive. It was a bitter cold, clear night. The moon was nearly full. The longer I drove the more my rage subsided and something else welled up inside me—deep pain.