I have avoided blogging about politics this year. It just gets too ugly too quickly. But I was persuaded otherwise when I read this passage in preparation for an upcoming Sojourn service:
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
(Titus 3:1-2)
What a useful verse during election season. I signed out of Facebook in June because of a sabbatical, and the vitriol that floats around during the election season is one reason I’ve avoided returning. The rhetoric gets so over-the-top that, in order to keep one’s head, you either laugh or turn it off. I get tired of laughing.
On the one side you get the fear mongering of Romney and Bain Capital (like the ad that laid responsibility for a woman’s death at Romney’s feet) and on the other side, you get similar fear mongering of Obama (like the birthers and those who insist he’s a closeted Muslim). Both extremes are absurd, and both campaigns are acting irresponsible and childish as they engage in these tactics. Some in the media complain that the whole campaign season is treated only as a horse race and a measure of likability. They complain that no substantive debate on policy occurs (as evidenced by both candidates reticence to spell out much in the way of specific policy plans post-election).
But at the end of the day, the problem isn’t with the media coverage; it’s with the consumers of media. The press is merely meeting demand. We love the horse race. We love hearing the other candidate bashed. We love the mud and the muckraking, for the same reason we love gossip magazines and reality TV.This is true of the public generally, and Christians particularly. We feel a sense of righteousness in our vote, as though we’ve passed some heavenly exam when we cast our ballots correctly.
My concern, here in this blog post, is only to point people back to the Titus passage. Go and examine your Twitter stream or your Facebook statuses. Are you speaking evil? Are you quarrelling? Are you being gentle and showing courtesy? Even to those you disagree with? Paul doesn’t give an exemption clause for republicans or democrats.
Government is immensely complex, but most of us make our judgments based upon sound bites, short video clips, ads, and debates. At the very least, we should be aware of how little we know, and speak with humility. Even if we know a lot, if we have a PhD in political science and spend thousands of hours combing over policy documents and candidates’ histories, we should still speak gently and humbly.
In particular, it always bothers me when I see Christians speak so mercilessly and hatefully of the sitting president. It was true during the Bush administration, and it’s true now. Our speech should show honor, even if we vehemently disagree. (See 1 Peter 2:13-17) Many progressives and liberals should repent of their hatred of Bush, and many conservatives should repent of their hatred of Obama. Our rulers are put there by a sovereign God (Romans 13:1-2), they love their country (they’d have to be a fool to take the job if they didn’t), and they have more pressure on them than most of us could imagine. The term “public servants” gets lost on us today, but if you watch the lives of most elected officials - including small time, local officials - even if you balance in the perks of power and prestige, they have brutally difficult work ahead of them.
What they deserve is our prayers and, whenever necessary, our respectful opposition. That looks dramatically different than the flaming rhetoric of cable news and AM radio. Paul told the church to act and speak as he did in Titus 3 in hopes that it would set them apart from the world. Their refusal to speak evil and join in quarrels, their gentleness and their courtesy, all would be radically counter-cultural. Such character comes only from people who believe that we serve a greater King and live in a greater Kingdom. That assurance tames a lot of rhetoric, soothes a lot of fear about “the end of our nation” and reminds us that ultimately, the whole thing – the election, the nation, and the future - is in God’s hands.
So let’s make an effort. Don’t let the world around you set the pace for our conversations about politics. Let the word and Spirit of God shape something different.
Because of the nature of this post, I will be moderating comments more carefully than usual. So say what you’d like, but don’t be a jerk.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s a good word, Mike. I wonder how many churches really take seriously the command in 1 Timothy 2:1 that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kinds and all who are in high positions.” I highly doubt people would spew such hatred for political leaders of other parties if weekly when they gathered for worship they were eagerly and earnestly praying for those same leaders. And not just prayers for someone to change their mind or vote, but that our elected men and women would be loving fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. It’s way easier to dehumanize people when you don’t pray for them.
ps. one of the reasons I hide all updates from everyone on Facebook is exactly so I don’t have to look at all that junk.
Thank you for the wisdom. I find it difficult to navigate the debate with out frustration. Christians are blind to how Satan uses elections and “issues” to pit us against one another, dividing the church into liberal v conservative, republican v democrat, etc… when we should be standing together under the banner of the gospel.
What a wonderfully written and thought provoking piece. Kudos.
This is all so very true. I see a lot of people dismissing all of the nay saying and trash talk, but in the end its a “reap what you sow” sort of deal. Jersey Shore is very popular, and so are many shows like it. Guess which shows aren’t? This just reflects that people like that sort of thing. People would rather re-post something clever on facebook, that “downs” the other guy, instead of looking into the pasts of candidates; their voting records in the senate, which bills or policies they have supported.
It really is a popularity race. People often ask me who I will vote for, and when I tell them, its always a “why not the other guy?” response. When I tell them my reasoning, they often don’t believe me, or tell me I am making it up, or that I am a biased media sheep. There is a lot of information out there, but people seem to only care about small, taken out of context soundbites and sentences, so why would the media give them anything else?
“We are not looking at minor matters of political difference. We are staring into the abyss of comprehensive moral conflict. Christian voters can escape neither the consequences of their vote, nor the fact that our most basic convictions will be revealed in the voting booth come November. Christians cannot face these questions without the knowledge that God is the Giver of life, who made every human life in his image. We cannot consider this election without the knowledge that our Creator has given us the covenant of marriage as the union of one man and one woman as the demonstration of his glory and the promise of human flourishing.”
- Al Mohler
quoted from
In other words, the substance of the debate IS as important as the tone of the debate. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater and tacitly forfeit important convictions for the sake of favorability to those who oppose those convictions.
Mike, beautifully said. I have a minor in political science and feel very strongly about political issues. However, I am saddened and disappointed by the behavior and actions I have witnessed by many people lately regarding this election. The hatred is inexcusable any way you look at it. You simply cannot justify hate as a Christian. It’s easy to forget that sometimes, especially when we have strong opinions. Christ himself was wronged and persecuted FAR more than any human ever was, and yet he remained gentle, even in his righteousness. It would be absurd to think that any of us are more righteous than Christ, and I feel that this particular blog exemplifies that spirit of living as He would hope us to live. Thank you for sharing.
Ouch! I feel a little convicted after reading your blog, Mike. I have tried to sift through all that’s being said about each of the candidates and trying to discern which one will represent the values I hold dear. I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to run for president, when so many are out to destroy them the moment they put their name in the hat.