I have decided to do a series of posts weighing in on a subject I have been thinking and studying about for a while. I have to start by explaining that my thoughts and positions on this subject have changed dramatically over the past decade. I also expect they will continue to grow, morph and change as I get older. Part of the reason for this series of posts is to get out what I am thinking. This does not come from a paper or a sermon I have written or preached, it comes from my head as I type. With that in mind, I might jump around a bit, so stick with me. I have to give credit my older brother James, who continues to teach me things, for the seed thought for these posts. We had a conversation a couple weeks ago, and I have been chewing on it since.
I feel that we in the American church are far past the need to have a conversation about what our role is and should be in politics and government. Unfortunately, a healthy conversation has not been possible because we Christians don't allow for others within the family to differ in our opinions and still feel a part of the family. This happens with many subjects, and unfortunately it shuts down any meaningful dialogue that could happen. So, although I will be proposing things I have come to believe, I do it with charity and humility, knowing that I have never been totally right, and someone else totally wrong. Also, to save time I will refer to politics and government as PG. (funny, cause it usually is at least PG13 or even R :) )
In this series of posts I will deal with what I see as the major struggles of Christians in America and their participation in PG (for all my friends that are not American citizens, I am only working this conversation from within my present context, however the subject has applications in any country or nation); an overview of the differing views within the Christian world of how we should participate in PG, including looking at where these ideas came from; what I see as the Biblical understanding of how we should participate in PG and how Jesus himself participated in PG; and lastly an overview of my stance.
I understand that this is only a series of blog posts, and that there have been whole volumes written on the subject. I will not be able to write everything I have thought on the subject, and it might take a question or comment to get further clarification on what I am thinking. Feel free to participate. I know this is a bit of a heavy subject, but it is a needed one. So...lets talk together about how we as Christians are called by God to participate.Labels: participation, politics, public discourse |
