When You Wonder WhySample

Does God Care About Politics?

Politics can be divisive, and both sides of the aisle sometimes think and act like their political party is God’s party, attacking anyone who takes a different stance than they do. The truth is that Jesus is our King, and our alliance lies with his kingdom before any earthly one. As citizens of heaven, our hope is in Jesus, and we must be renewed in his image before we can change our own community, nation or world.

As you think about politics and faith, here are a few things to keep in mind:

● It’s easy to think that everything is political, but really, everything is spiritual. As Christians, our worldview isn’t dependent on the views of Western democracy. Instead, our understanding of justice, our treatment of the poor and the immigrant, how we spend our money and our gender and sexual identities are all shaped by our relationship with God and his Word.

● Our political actions may be informed by our faith, but the most disruptive political action you can take might surprise you. Voting, protesting and campaigning for certain issues can all be good things, but Jesus didn’t come overthrowing earthly kingdoms. Instead, he taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This is an incredibly political statement, affirming God’s lordship over all the earth and choosing his ways over our ways.

● Political leaders are never our saviors. We sometimes look for our candidate to make things right in society, but all political leaders are fallen humans who will fail us at some point. Our political leanings can become dangerous when we amplify the good qualities of those we agree with and paint those we disagree with as our enemies. Even as we disagree on important topics, we need to remember that everyone is made in God’s image. Jesus believed our political opponents were worth dying for, and we must treat them the same.

Engaging in politics can be important work as we pray for God to advance his kingdom in the world. But as we work for the good of our communities, we need to remember our ways are not God’s ways. Only God can fully redeem the world, and we must align our vision with his plan for creation.