Zahnd on Politics
This statement by Brian Zahnd hits the nail on the head.
America is experiencing an alarming exponential increase in acrimony and vitriol in its political discourse. This is why Christians need to become serious about embodying the politics of Jesus—a politics that has as its ultimate goal, not power, but love. Christians are free to vote according to their conscience, but if their political engagement makes it harder for them to love other people, then as followers of Jesus they need to disengage from politics.
The kingdom of Christ is not furthered through the apparatus of power politics. The politics of Jesus are the politics of love and are to be lived out by the church. The church is not called to covet Caesar’s sword; the coercion of Caesar’s sword is incompatible with the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is without coercion; we persuade by love, witness, spirit, reason, rhetoric, and, if need be, martyrdom…but never by force.
1 comment:
It's always easier to get involved in a Big Cause than to practice the Gospel on what's directly in front of you. Politics and grand schemes of prophecy interpretation are fun and interesting. Loving your sibling or spouse or child or neighbor is a lot less gratifying.
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