I’ve had lots of time to think, pray, and study while on sabbatical. I’ve stayed in tune with messages here at CLG, and I am aware there is ongoing discussion about how we do life together well as followers of Jesus in politically divided times. So, let’s go there. If you are feeling nervous, know that I am going to end up talking about Jesus over and over.
I have gotten two very different requests over the years: “Can we please not talk about politics?" and. “Why don’t we talk about politics more?” The reality is that every message I bring has political implications. Our word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek polis, which the Topical Lexicon defines as:
“…an identifiable community with social, political, and spiritual implications.”
It turns out most of life is not made up of merely political issues. It’s composed of moral issues. We are asking questions about how human beings should live together in light of Jesus, and that involves issues of justice, power, life, truth, peace, strangers, enemies, children, prisons, violence, wealth and poverty, freedom, law and grace (spiritually and practically), sex, race and ethnicity, and living as a citizen of the Kingdom in the midst of earthly empires.
Jesus didn’t commission his disciples to establish a Christian empire, of course. He called them to follow him, to love their neighbors, to love their enemies, to make disciples, and to embody a different way of living in the world. So though I am going to talk about applying kingdom principles in our lives as citizens, it’s not because the United States of America was, is or will be the Kingdom of God.[1] It’s an empire filled with people whose kingdom is not of this world.
There is a reason Jesus used salt and light as analogies for our presence in the world. There is a lot that needs to be cured (#salt), and a lot that is really dark (#light). I don’t expect the governments of empire to operate according to all the values of the Kingdom of God. Sometimes laws or policies overlap with Kingdom values, but I’m not surprised if they don’t. That’s why the world we live in is a mission field
While we don't expect the Empire to act like Jesus, we are still called to live as Kingdom ambassadors while living in the Empire.[2] Hopefully that salt and light can have an influence, but it will be no less salty or light if it doesn’t. What’s important is that we are faithful Christians in the nation where we live.[3]
When Jesus invited people to follow him, he began to do the kind of work Jesus does. He told them truth; he revealed the heart of God for others; he demonstrated the path of righteousness. In church circles, we call that orthodoxy (right belief), orthopathy (righteous emotions) and orthopraxy (right actions).
Orthodoxy asks, What is true? The teaching of Jesus shapes our minds.
Orthopathy asks, What does the heart of God love, grieve, and delight in? The heart of Jesus shapes our emotions.
Orthopraxy asks, How then shall we live? The life of Jesus directs our actions.
Orthodoxy: Think true things. There are several places in the Bible that we can think of as early creeds, or statements of faith. For example:
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
As church history unfolds, we see longer and longer creeds emerge as people are trying to keep guiderails on true belief, but we get the basics in Scripture. Now, thinking true things is bigger than theology (which focuses on God). It’s the principle: there are things that are true about the world, and we want to participate in that. #worldview
Orthopathy: Feel righteous emotions. Jesus didn't merely teach ideas. He revealed His heart.
· Matthew 9: He had compassion.
· Luke 19: He wept.
· Mark 3: He was angry and grieved.
Jesus modeled what it looked like to have the right heart in a given situation. We are instructed to match proper emotions – a heart stance? - to life. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:
“ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart… God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:7-8)
Interesting choice of words. HELPS Word Studies gives us a helpful explanation of what is meant by the “affection” of Jesus.
“Properly, the internal organs ("viscera"); (figuratively) "gut-level compassion" (visceral feelings); the capacity to feel deep emotions (sympathy, empathy, etc.).
So, following Jesus isn’t going to be just mental agreement with God’s truth. It’s going to put deep emotions into our gut that are meant to represent the affections of Jesus. When we hear about an issue, what do we feel in our gut? And is it something Jesus would feel?
Orthopraxy: What are we to do?
James tells us that faith without works is dead. Micah 6 tells us that followers of God are going to do justice while loving mercy and walking humbly with God. In fact, the OT prophets had a lot to say about this. For example:
“ This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place…. [Josiah] did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 22)[4]
Whenever Christians discuss difficult issues involving life in the polis, there are three different questions that must be answered.
What is bible-based, Kingdom truth about this issue? (orthodoxy)
What kind of gut-level response best reflects the heart of Jesus? (orthopathy)
How can I order my life in a way that looks like Jesus and supports the way of the Kingdom? (orthopraxy)
Let’s try this as we apply an old saying in Christian circles: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity (love).”[5] And since this is election season, each example will look not only at our personal responsibility, but also at unity, liberty and charity in light of making decisions supporting public policy that will form us into a particular kind of community, city, and nation.[6]
Immigration
Orthodoxy: What foundation does Scripture give about responding to the foreigners and strangers? (Lots of instruction/examples in the OT.)
Orthopathy: What should God's people feel toward citizens and non-citizens alike if we want to have the heart of Jesus?
Orthopraxy: What actions reflect justice, mercy, and humility before God (Micah 6:8)?
Whatever our government decides about immigration, Jesus has already told us how to love our neighbor. How do we treat the immigrants in our neighborhood, workplace, or church? Are we extending hospitality, friendship, and dignity? THEN, when it comes to public policy, Christians may disagree over the details about how the border is handled, visas, quotas, and asylum procedures. But it ought to be an extension of what we have personally committed to already as we have aligned ourselves with Jesus.
· Unity: embracing a biblical vision of mercy and justice for everyone involved
· Liberty: specific border policies, responsible quotas, asylum procedures, etc. that best help all human flourishing.[7]
· Charity: Christ-like love for everyone impacted by the issue that is expressed in what we do and support.
Poverty
Orthodoxy: Jesus announces that the gospel is good news to the poor (Luke 4:18–19). God showed Israel how to order their whole society so that"there will be no poor among you." (Deuteronomy 15:4; 11).[8] #goals
Orthopathy: What is the Christ-like emotional response when we encounter the impoverished?[9]
Orthopraxy: Ezekiel 16:49 identifies neglect of the poor as part of Sodom's sin: "She and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy." 1 John 3:16–18 reminds us that love requires more than words: "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?"[10]
Before we vote for policies impacting welfare, taxation, or economic policy… Are we personally generous? Do we sacrifice to help someone we know is struggling? Christians may land in different places concerning how to best use taxes and assistance programs to steward resources without creating unhelpful dependency. But whatever we do and support for those in poverty should be an extension of our personal commitments, which should look like something Jesus would do.
· Unity: let Scripture guide our mercy and justice for the impoverished.
· Liberty: amount of personal help; details of public policy that best help to address poverty.
· Charity: Christ-like love for everyone impacted by the issue that is expressed in what we do and support.
Racism
Orthodoxy: In Christ, ethnicity does not determine standing before God (Galatians 3:28). Peter declares that God shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34–35). At Pentecost, the gathering of diverse nations anticipates the reversal of Babel's division; in Revelation, every “tribe, nation and tongue” gather (Revelation 5:9; 7:9).
Orthopathy: What affection does Jesus have toward someone treated with suspicion, contempt, or hostility because of race or ethnicity?
Orthopraxy: Refuse racial contempt, treat people fairly, confront injustice, and practice our ministry of reconciliation.[11]
Before discussing public policies that address affirmative action, DEI, or government programs or restitution, we should be doing introspection. Am I willing to take seriously the lived experiences of others? Am I treating people fairly and confronting discrimination? Then, when I vote, does my vote support what I have already committed to personally as a follower of Jesus?
· Unity: providing mercy and justice for anyone experiencing discrimination or abuse because of their race or ethnicity.
· Liberty: supporting what we believe will be the most effective public policies to address this.
· Charity: Christ-like love for everyone impacted by racism that is expressed in what we do and support so that we all can flourish.
Transgender Athletes
Orthodoxy: All boys and girls – including those with gender dysphoria - bear God's image and possess inherent dignity. Jesus cares about them all.
Orthopathy: What is the heart of Jesus toward a transgender teenager who feels isolated or rejected? Toward a girl who believes she has lost a fair (and perhaps safe) opportunity to compete?
Orthopraxy: How do we righteously care for transgender neighbors and family members while a) protecting young people from bullying and violence, and b) taking concerns about fairness, privacy, and safety seriously?
Personally, do we speak about transgender people with dignity and not contempt? Are we willing to listen to those who feel excluded or disdained – and those who are concerned about safety and fairness? Before we decide what policies are best for young athletes, are we thinking, feeling and speaking about everyone in the discussion in a way that honors the imago dei in everyone?
· Unity: honoring the imago dei, embodying mercy, justice, truth and love
· Liberty: specific sports policies
· Charity: Christ-like love for everyone involved that is expressed in what we do and support to bring about everyone’s flourishing by the standards of the Kingdom.
Health Care
Orthodoxy: Jesus repeatedly moved toward the sick and suffering (Matthew 9:35–36). The Good Samaritan provided practical and financial care to someone unable to help himself (Luke 10:33–35).[12]
Orthopathy: What does Jesus feel toward a parent unable to afford treatment for a sick child, regardless of the reason, or an elderly person choosing between medication and groceries?
Orthopraxy: Following Jesus and the early church's example, we should care for the sick, alleviate suffering, and seek to make sure that people needing care can receive it.
Caring for the sick has always been a moral concern to God’s people, not merely an economic or political calculation. If we are the kind of neighbor who moves toward people who are suffering; what does it look like to vote in a way that invites an entire society to join us?
· Unity: acting with generosity, mercy and justice for those in need
· Liberty: the most effective way to care for people (types of insurance coverage, government spending, etc.)
· Charity: Christ-like love for everyone involved that is expressed in what we do and support.
Crime, Punishment, and Incarceration
Orthodoxy: God cares about justice for victims (Psalm 82:3–4). Jesus calls us to visit prisoners (Matthew 25:36). Scripture teaches that repentance and transformation are possible. Consequences, restitution and restoration can coexist.
Orthopathy: What is Jesus' heart toward someone assaulted, robbed, or sexually abused? What heart does he have for the offender? Can we grieve the victim's suffering while hoping for the offender's repentance and rehabilitation?[13]
Orthopraxy: Protect communities, pursue accountability, care for victims, prevent further harm, avoid cruelty and dehumanization for the incarcerated, and create opportunities for rehabilitation and reconciliation.
As Christians disagree about the most just sentencing, the use of the death penalty, etc., do we care for victims? Do we believe offenders can be changed by Jesus? What are the implications of that?
· Unity: acting with mercy and justice for all those impacted by crime.
· Liberty: deciding how we best do this in our society in light of Jesus
· Charity: Christ-like love for everyone involved that is expressed in what we do and support.
Unity in Jesus does not require uniformity in areas of liberty. Also, having that liberty of disagreement does not excuse us from evaluating our conclusions by the character and teachings of Jesus. Whatever we do and support must result from our most honest attempts to think and feel like Jesus, so that we look like Jesus when we act.
* * * * *
This is what I mean when I say that every sermon is about politics as I described it at the beginning. The Gospel has practical implications in our lives and in our communities, including how we vote on “political issues” that are often deeply moral issues about which Jesus has something to say to those who claim his name.
The goal of the church is not to make Republicans more Republican, Democrats more Democrat, or Libertarians more Libertarian. No politician or political party is Lord of the Christian. Jesus is. May we faithfully follow him wherever he leads us, with unity on the essentials, liberty on the non-essentials, and love all the time.
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[1] John 18:36 — "My kingdom is not of this world." Jesus tells Pilate that his Kingdom does not originate from this world. He contrasts his Kingdom with the kind of power maintained through violence. This doesn't mean his Kingdom has no implications for this world. It means its source, character, and methods are fundamentally different.
[2] Jeremiah 29:7 — Seek the welfare of the city
God instructs his people, living in exile in Babylon, to seek the welfare of the city in which they live.They are not commanded to turn Babylon into Israel. Neither are they told to pull back from concern for Babylon.They are called to live faithfully as God's people while contributing to the welfare of a society that does not share their covenant identity.
[3]The biblical prophets regularly held nations, including pagan nations, accountable for violence, oppression, and injustice (Amos 1–2 is a particularly good example, or think of Jonah going to Ninevah). In that sense, the empire is not morally exempt from doing justice. See Romans 1 for a kind of global conscience that God has gifted the world.
[4] In Isaiah 58 we read that God, after rejecting the fasts of His people, said, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” Jesus told multiple parables in which he echoed the prophets. His teaching in Matthew 25 reminds us to feed, visit, clothe, and take care of the “least” around us. Luke 10’s Parable of the Good Samaritan clarified who counts as a neighbor (everybody) and what kind of care we should show them.
[5] Attributed to the 17th-century German theologian Peter Meiderlin. Non-essential does not mean unimportant; it means not everything is held in a “closed hand.”
[6] A friend noted that many decisions involve not only biblical interpretation but also empirical evidence, practical reasoning, and judgments about the responsibilities of government, not to mention self-awareness regarding bias, which should be ongoing as we submit to God and ask him to show us where we are off. A values analysis matters as well, because many arguments stem from competing ‘good” but different values.
[7] Let’s define this as “living well in light of the values of the Kingdom of God.”
[8] Which, interestingly, Jesus’ disciples were apparently not honoring. See Matthew 26:11, where Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 15:11
[9] Key Bible verses where Jesus teaches about or cares for the poor include passages like Matthew 25:35–40, where Jesus notes that caring for the needy is equivalent to caring for Him, and Luke 4:18, which describes His mission to preach good news to the poor. Other notable instructions include selling possessions to give to the poor (Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, and Luke 12:33), inviting the marginalized to banquets (Luke 14:13–14), and recognizing the profound sacrifice in the Widow's Offering (Luke 21:1–4).
[10] Notice that the first addresses corporate responsibility; the second, individual responsibility.
[11] 2 Corinthians 5:18
[12] Jesus may well have chosen the Samaritan as protagonist precisely because of the shock value of an enemy doing the right thing.
[13] As a wise friend told me, “I think it is far easier to have compassion on those held in contempt, than it is to have compassion on those who are contemptuous, or predatory, or brutish, or abusive.” True. And yet we follow the path of Jesus: “Father, forgive them…”