I’m at times accused of being a Liberal which I don’t think is accurate, but I also cannot totally align with Conservatives either.  I think the liberal label sometimes gets applied to anyone who defends the poor and oppressed among us (Psalm 12:5; Psalm 82:3-4; Deuteronomy 10:18).  The conservative label has become synonymous with anger, hate and privilege.  At any rate that is not the point of this post.  One of the points of this post is that people often align their politics with a political ideology or political figure. This figure becomes a political god and their politics become a god before them that they are willing to defend to the death. Unfortunately, it is not a martyr’s death they are dying. If you are a Christian fighting for your politics is not martyrdom. It is following a false god.   

In my home state of New York, we have once again found ourselves in the midst of a fallen leader, Gov. Cuomo.    Gov. Cuomo needs to resign.  He has not conducted himself in the way that a leader should.  There is no defense.  Our politicians need to be held to a standard above reproach regardless of their political ideologies.  However, I said this very same thing in regards to former President Donald Trump.  The standards don’t change depending upon which political party someone belongs. 

We as a people need to be guided by our values. If you’re a Christian, by your Christian values not by a political ideology or political figure.  I sometimes hear other Christians say that “I stand my ground; I won’t change my mind” like standing our ground or changing our minds is some evil sin.  In Isaiah 1:18 God says, “Come now, let us reason together.”  Yet these same people turn a blind eye to the failings of their political leaders. They are unable to acknowledge wrongdoing at times denying what is before them.  Or if they do acknowledge it, it is swept under the rug with rationalizations such as, it’s a political witch hunt.  They may even claim the political figure is being targeted because of his stand on one issue or another.  

The Bible says we are to use the minds that God has endowed us with to critically think about the issue before us.  Critically thinking does not mean to think negatively but to ask important questions:

1. How does the information I have align with my values/belief/worldview?
2. Am I looking at this through the lens of Scripture?  
3. Am I dismissing other information that I don’t like?
4. Am I having an emotional reaction that prevents me from reasoning with others?
5. Do I feel that those who don’t agree with me are idiots?  Do I see people who disagree as “less than” or as enemies?

Let me be clear, my issue is not so much about the people in the pew but about those behind the pulpit.  My concern is with those who are in leadership positions and lack the self-awareness to recognize their own gain-to increase their following, to be liked, to be part of a controversy, or even more well-intentioned to gain favor by defending a God that needs no defending.  I truly believe that most Christians, at least those in the pews, are well-intentioned.  In their desire to be good followers of Christ they get lost in the act of being Christian and lose sight of the Calling that Christ has given to each one.  We are called to be a beacon of light for those who are lost.  We are called to invite those who don’t know Christ to the feast that he has prepared for them.  We are less able to do that if we’re always fighting, angry and refusing to reason with “the enemy” or getting lost in the defense of our faith.  God does not call us to defend our faith but to live in truth while loving and extending grace towards others.  His job is to move their hearts our job is to gather people together as a hen gathers her chicks.  How I long for us to look over our country and weep for those who are hurting and lost and to gather them together under the protective wings of truth and grace.