One of the cardinal sins of a preacher is to bring politics into the pulpit. By its very nature, especially in our country, politics divides. The Church, at her best, is where divisions cease to exist. As St. Paul said, “there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.”
As a preacher, I have tried to remain apolitical in an effort to create space where people of faith, from both sides of the aisle, can worship God. I love the idea that the Church can be a place where people are defined, not by their political affiliation, but by a God who sees us all as beloved children through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Church, at her best, provides a place of healing for a people who are divided on so many issues.
However, there are times in history when the middle ground erodes away. There are times in history when we must make a stand for the sake of what is right; even more, there are times when we must take a stand for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are times when we can no longer sacrifice truth for the sake of unity and peace. At some point, the status quo will no longer be good enough for the kingdom of God.
In particular, there are times when peace, veiled in the cruelty of keeping the status quo, must be disrupted so that the kingdom of God can draw near. In America’s history, peace was disrupted with a civil war that put an end to slavery. Peace was disrupted so that women might have the right to vote. Peace was disrupted when we went to war with Nazi Germany to put an end to the systematic murder of Jews.
Peace was disrupted and continues to be disrupted so that African Americans and people of color in this country may no longer be seen as less than, not only in light of the law, but also in our hearts and minds. Peace is being disrupted so that members of the LGBTQ community can feel safe and fully valued in their own communities and churches. And there have been times in our country’s history when peace was not sufficiently disrupted for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Jesus himself said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus goes on to say members of one’s own household will be divided. Jesus is saying that before the kingdom of God can take root on earth, this world must be turned upside down (which it will at the foot of the cross). And if we are serious about following Jesus, then we must be serious about turning this world upside down with a kind of love that rights all wrongs.
If we are serious about following Jesus, then we must risk making people mad. If we are serious about following Jesus, then we must be serious about rejecting agendas or policies that are antithetical to the kingdom of God. If we are serious about following Jesus, then we must be willing to disrupt the peace, the status quo for the sake of the kingdom of God – a place where the first are last and the last are first.
Sometimes following Jesus might make one look like a Republican. Sometimes following Jesus might make one look like a Democrat. So, if one follows Jesus and that makes them look like a Republican or Democrat, does that mean they are being political? I would think not.
At the end of the day, Christians cannot be beholden to a political party if they are serious about following Jesus. At some point, following Jesus will make one step out of line with their political party. At some point, following Jesus will make one step of out of line with their social identity.
As you’ve heard me say before, Jesus did not come to start a new religion. Rather, as Robert Capon said, Jesus came to put an end to religion. What Capon means is that Jesus did not come to make up a bunch of new rules on how to find our way to God just so we mortals could fight about it some more.
Instead, Jesus puts before us a cross that says no amount of striving will get us to God. In his great hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God, Martin Luther says, “our striving would be losing.” The cross is the place where God meets us in our losing and brings us to himself. The cross is not about us finding our way to God through good deeds. Rather, the cross is about God finding us in our pointless striving and saying the way of the cross is the way of life and peace.
Jesus tells his followers, “If you want to be my follower, then you must deny yourself and take up your cross.” Taking up the cross is about finding God in the weak and vulnerable for that is where the crucified Lord dwells and takes us to new life. More than following a moral code or certain ideologies, following Jesus is about sacrificing oneself for the sake of the other particularly the weak and vulnerable.
These past few months have put this call to take up our cross to the test. Everything that we’ve been talking about in recent months – wearing masks, staying home, proper hygiene – isn’t simply about protecting ourselves but about protecting others. These past few months have been about sacrificing our livelihood for the sake of others especially the weak and vulnerable.
And if wearing a mask is what it means to follow Jesus today, then I pray we may gladly accept the discipline regardless of our political persuasion. If being physically distanced for a little longer is what it means to follow Jesus today, then I pray we do so with the conviction that this is what we do as citizens of God’s heavenly city by virtue of our baptisms. And if following Jesus makes you look political, then so be it – you are a beloved child of God – the only name that will never be taken away from you.
