The Party CrasherBeispiel

THE PARTY OF THE LAMB When it comes to politics, Jesus invites you to bring your lean but submit your bow. “Lean­ing” is where you have a different perspective; “bowing” is where you have a different allegiance. We all have political leanings. The danger is when that lean becomes a bow, something that competes with your allegiance to Jesus and becomes a functional religion. Jesus himself called disciples with different political leanings. In the Gospels, he gathered followers who were (revolutionary) Zeal­ots, (status quo) tax collectors, (blue-collar) fishermen, and (white-collar) doctors. Our modern political categories don’t map exactly onto the ancient world, yet there is significant overlap. And whichever way we lean politically, following Jesus is going to be countercultural. Are you using God language but really serving another Caesar? Is your ultimate trust in the way of the elephant or the way of the donkey (which can both easily succumb to the way of the dragon), or is your trust in the way of the Lamb? If you are in Christ, your allegiance is not to the Democratic Party or the Re­publican Party but to the kingdom of God. This King throws a better party! This doesn’t mean Christians won’t have political opinions, but it might mean we won’t fit comfortably within partisan lines. Sometimes the Word of God calls us to be political in ways that don’t fit the common boxes or national narratives. This is a clarion call to action: to put Jesus back at the center of the church’s politics—of your politics—even if that means crashing some party lines. To pledge your allegiance to the world’s true King. Our goal is to reform church politics—that is, how the church does politics—by putting Jesus back at the center. Not to be a political but to be rightly political. We dethrone the idols to exalt the King of kings. “‘As surely as I live,’says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” (Romans 14:11) Jesus is Lord, the rightful ruler over all creation, exalted over heaven and earth. Each of us is called to bow before this King. In what ways can the presence of Jesus be more powerful than our strategies, opinions, and policies in our churches and relationships?