The polarization in the American society has reached an astounding extreme. The divide exists along the lines of politics, economics, education, morals, and race, to name only a few issues. Each of these areas of life could be described as a fault line where social “tectonic plates” are pulling apart. 
Of course, they are not separate issues. How one thinks and acts about one of the issues strongly affects and is affected by how one thinks and acts of the others. I am not going to analyze or even describe the issues and the divisions that exist. What I am concerned about is how Christians are addressing the divisions and attempting to resolve the problems. When I say “Christians” I mean people (of all ages, sexes, races, and churches) who declare that they have faith in Jesus Christ for their eternal destiny and for how they live. Christians assert that Jesus is the Savior and Lord who they trust and obey. Instead of “Christian” I’m going to mostly use the term “Jesus-follower” because I think it clarifies our identity and mission.
It appears to me that the division in our society takes the shape of generally having two sides, commonly called liberal and conservative. Of course, each one of these sides has its own variety of levels, degrees, and extremities. A person holding to ultra-liberalism may not consider another person holding to moderate-liberalism a “true liberal.” Same at the conservative pole. So these are VERY general categories.
It also appears to me that most Jesus-followers in America have taken a seat on the conservative side. Not all; there are many Jesus-followers who hold to some level of liberalism. I have the most experience with the conservative viewpoint and people who hold it. I also most agree with the conservative stance on most (not all) individual issues. So I’m not troubled by what conservatives believe about most of our social issues. What troubles me is the way a large number of Jesus-followers (both conservatives and liberals) are going about putting what they believe into practice, that is, the methods and systems and processes (and their attendant attitudes) being used to attempt to shape our society.
I think it is time for us Jesus-followers to adopt and present the alternative to the liberal and conservative way of shaping society. Get off the side you are on and live by and work out the alternative.
Throughout history, Jesus-followers have shaped society, but the most successful and most Jesus-like effects were not accomplished by the way being practiced now. In essence, Jesus-followers saw needs and problems and took action. In areas like child-care, education, medicine, etc., Jesus-followers took the initiative to make things better. In areas like science and philosophy and theology, Jesus-followers led the way for people to know the will of God. (For a broad and very pertinent understanding of this see this podcast, How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.) Those things were not accomplished by using governmental power and authority to coerce their fellow citizens. The focus and motivation of those Jesus-followers was not to defeat people who opposed Christianity but to care for people who were in spiritual and physical need.
Yes, yes, some Christians used governmental authority (and even military) to coerce and to defeat people. Those instances were not successful when judged by the standard which Jesus has for his people. Christians who acted with force were not reflecting who Jesus is. I am not talking about the use of force that is sometimes necessary to maintain an orderly and safe society. I’m talking about using the force of law (or even military) to require society to adhere to “Christian” principles.
The alternative we can offer for the shaping of society, simply put, is Jesus the Messiah and his Kingdom – NOT laws, court decisions, policies, military, executive orders, patriotism, liberal/conservative viewpoints, and elections. This is the other way to shape society.
In fact, Jesus-followers are not following Jesus when they use enforcement and defeat to attempt to shape society. Look at what the Kingdom of God is like. The Kingdom is Jesus expressing himself. The Kingdom is like Jesus.
The operating procedure of Christ’s Kingdom is not to get domination. The Kingdom’s goal is not something like stopping an alleged “one-world-government”, and avoiding persecution by running the country, and keeping “liberals” or “conservatives” from having power so the nation will follow “Christian principles.” The operating procedure of Christ’s Kingdom is service and sharing good news with an attitude of humility, love, mercy, gentleness, caring, and sacrifice.
In January, 2016, presidential primary candidate Donald Trump gave a speech at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. He told the crowd that “Christianity is under tremendous siege” while Christians make up the overwhelming majority of the country, then said, “And yet we don’t exert the power that we should have.” He promised that would change if he were elected to the presidency. “Christianity will have power,” he said. “If I’m there, you’re going to have plenty of power, you don’t need anybody else. You’re going to have somebody representing you very, very well. Remember that.” (Christianity Will Have Power)
As president these past four years, his attitude, motivation, mindset, and criteria clearly indicate the kind of power he was promising as he designates people, living or dead, as “winners” and “losers.” He and his administration operate by a power attempting to enforce and defeat. Might makes right.
How does that compare to Jesus?
One Biblical passage that clearly describes the attitude and mindset of Jesus is Philippians 2:6-8, which reads “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Does that sound like domination, enforcement, and defeating the people who opposed him? Jesus set aside his rights, made himself nothing, became a slave, acted meekly, and obeyed all the way to death (the death that was the sacrifice for every human who has or will ever live). That was the way he became Lord (verses 9-11). That was the way he changed everything, the way he made the new creation.
I’ll remind you what verse 5, preceding the description of Jesus, says: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” Jesus-followers are supposed to live with the same mindset of Jesus.
The Gospel of John reports: So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:19-22)
Jesus-followers have been sent into the world the same way Jesus was sent. Jesus showed his followers his hands and side – the wounds of his crucifixion. That’s how he was sent – in sacrificial love for all humanity, for each human. With sacrificial love he brought peace, redemption, new life enabled by God’s Spirit. “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
This is the way to change society (because it’s the way people experience redemptive, eternal change) instead of enforcement and defeat. This can’t be done using government; government is all about exerting force through laws, regulations, court decisions and military action.
I have expressed opposition to Donald Trump being president. I don’t think I have effectively explained the main reason why. So here I will clarify how I see it. This is important for me, and if you know me, it’s important to me that you understand why I oppose him. The real problem I have is not so much that Mr. Trump is the president. What I primarily disagree with is that many Jesus-followers (more than 80% of American evangelicals) are looking to him to lead the efforts to change society. I reject the idea that God has appointed or “raised up” Mr. Trump to represent, empower, protect, support, and enable Christians to restore America to a conservative, moral, and Christian social order (or at least to maintain that order for them a while longer). I have two reasons for this: 1. as I pointed out above, President Trump’s ways are the exact opposite of Jesus’ ways (more like Caesar than Christ); 2. the mission for Jesus-followers is NOT keeping or restoring America to a conservative, moral, and Christian social order. God has not assigned his people the task to make America great. Jesus never instructed us to build a nation for him. I will not, I cannot, look to Donald Trump as God’s appointed leader, because he is leading toward a different goal than Jesus is aiming for.
Yet, as American citizens, we have the responsibility and privilege to participate in choosing the leaders of our government, and Jesus-followers should participate in that. So here’s my take on the upcoming election.
In our elections, it is important to remember that we have more than 2 choices. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are not the only individuals running for president, and the Democrats and Republicans are not the only political parties in play. I think it is time to abandon those two parties and work for the future. Neither party appears like they are working together for the common good of the nation; they’re just hell-bent on opposing the other and widening the country’s division. It looks like the liberal Democratic party is leading to a dangerous socialism and moral free-for-all. It looks like the conservative Republican party is leading to a just-as-dangerous nationalism/jingoism and elitist society. If I choose to vote for either one I believe I will contribute to the direction they are leading. Speaking for myself, I don’t want to do that. So I think it’s time to find an alternative political party (a so-called third party) or independent candidates. No, a third party candidate won’t win the presidential election in 2020, but voting for one hopefully may help start a movement that will bring change for future generations. Remember that both of the 2 major parties began as third-party alternatives (Democratic in 1828 and Republican in 1854). Whether any political results occur or not, I will be satisfied that I have not merely supported the “lesser of two evils” and that I am staying faithful to Kingdom truth.
Yet our (Jesus-followers) emphasis – our attention, energy, time, voices – must not primarily be on politics and government. Our focus must not be enforcing our values with governmental authority.
Jesus is very, very clear on what his followers should be doing in the world. The Great Commandments: love God and love people (Matthew 22:37-39). The Great Commission: make disciples of all nations and teach them how to obey Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). The priority tasks assigned to Jesus-followers are: announcing the gospel (the good news) of Jesus being King and people called to enter God’s Kingdom (evangelism, salvation), following Jesus as Lord (discipleship, obedience), and loving our neighbors, even the ones we deem enemies (ministry, caring). This is what the New Testament calls “the work of the gospel” (NIV Philippians 2:22). This is our work. This the way peace and healing and new life will come. This is the way to offer the alternative to the way Americans are trying to make something happen. America will not last forever. The Kingdom of God will.
To have the alternative to the divided sides, we must go back to praying, preaching, teaching, learning, and living the basic ways and means of following Jesus. Jesus-followers must activate our spirits and gear up our minds to have discernment to be able to reject the leadership of men and women who are using the gospel as a tool to make America a nation run by their preferences (liberal and conservative). I think it is time for Jesus-followers to get off the political sides, for the most part.
The alternative to the liberal/conservative divide in America is Jesus the King and his Kingdom. Jesus-followers must set our hearts and minds on that.
Now, I am nobody. I have little influence. No one is going to accept what I say just because I say it; no one should. I do hope you will take some time to just think about this. At least ask yourself, “Could this line of thinking be realistic?” Think it through, holding in your mind the possibility that it’s true we should not use politics/government to do the main tasks God assigns us. Study it through, especially what Jesus has designated his followers to do and how to go about doing it. Talk with others about it, not arguing but exploring together. Pray it through, seeking the will of God.
Here are a couple other blogs (not mine) that may be helpful:
Christians, Your Vote in November Won’t Fix America’s Morality
Cardi B and the Conservative Christian Island
Leave a comment, if you like. Please subscribe to receive future posts by email.