How do we change the World?
It amazes me how many different answers to that question you can get from the same person. In most cases, it seems to me that if you ask a Christian this question, you will get at least two answers. First, you will get an "orthodox" response, that the way to change the World is to bring Jesus to it. And they would be right. But what really interests me is the SECOND answer - the one which will be indirect, but evident. You can see it if you listen before or after nearly any religious service or meeting. What you will hear will be a running commentary about political issues - usually doom and gloom (if the popular party is not in office), or ridiculously high hopes (if they ARE in office). This I find deeply disturbing.
I think it is time to face what appears to be a crisis of integrity in the Church. Who IS the Lord of all? Is it the one we confess Sunday morning? Or is it the next elected official? I was fascinated by the Anti-Christ scare tactics used during the last Presidential election. I thought it ridiculous, and yet telling. For in the current climate of "Evangelical" Christianity, what would be more likely than for us to be concerned about a false Messiah, when we so obviously are trying to elect SOME messianic figure with each and every election. Each time, there is projected over each candidates either an aura of profound evil, or angelic good. Well, folks, I have news for you. There is one and only one Messiah - and it's no more George Bush or Ronald Reagan than Barak Obama or Hillary Clinton.
Please don't misunderstand me - I don't think we should shirk our political responsabilities. I vote in accordance with (hopefully) weel thought-out moral principles, and that definitely influenced my support during the last election. But it seems to be time for the Church to face some facts -
WE WILL NOT REDEEM MANKIND THROUGH POLITICAL OR MILITARY MEANS.
If that was what we were here for, Christ would have come back long ago to rule by force. He would have had MUCH different responses to the Herodians, and to Pontius Pilate. But we were told specifically, and explicitly, that the Kingdom of God is NOT of this World. It is NOT the great commission for us to go and subdue the World by political or military means. It is, instead, a great emigration program. Jesus says "Come all you who are weary and heavy laden...." "Pick up your cross, and follow...." Leave behind the World, and come to the Kingdom.
We are ambassadors for a kingdom that is of another world entirely. We will overcome this World, not by legislating morality, but by making disciples. We are stewards of this Kingdom. If our focus is on politics, we abdicate that role, and give it over to a false Messiah, and anti-christ, no matter what political party he or she belongs to. Remember, folks, the anti-christ would deceive (or nearly so) the very ELECT.
The whole issue came together for me a few days ago when some friends were talking about some political issues, and our President's plans and responses to them. As the discussion focused more and more on deriding the man, it was in my mind to say simply this - "I LOVE the man. After all, I'm CALLED to."
