Toxic Politics

In the afternoons when I head home from work, especially if I’m in the mood for a little political schizophrenia, I’ll spend the first half of my drive listening to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. If NPR was honest about it, they’d title it A Few Politically Left-leaning Things Considered because, c’mon, man – that program is about as objective as a group of Little League Baseball parents hissing from the bleachers at the umpire who just rung up their kid for a called strike three. I actually like listening to NPR. It makes me feel smarter, though a little less humble. Anyway, on the last half of my trip, I’ll switch over to Michael Savage to hear what he’s raving about. Savage is talk radio’s grumpy old man yelling for the neighborhood kids (who are almost certainly undocumented) to get off his lawn.

In an earlier post, I warned you that we were entering the angry season; that stretch of blistering months leading up to our quadrennial presidential election. The most politically ill-informed among us could have predicted that it was going to get ugly. But boy, could anyone have forecast the furor we are witnessing?  I have to remind myself of this often, but if you think things are bad now, just dredge up a little history. You might not feel any better, but at least you’ll realize things have been worse. Politics, a nasty business these days, has been lots nastier.

In the 1800 presidential contest between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, a journalist (and I use that term loosely) named James Callender, wrote that John Adams was possessed of “a hideous hermaphroditical character.” Callender, it turned out, was Thomas Jefferson’s hired hatchet man. Adams was no angel, though. He basically said that if Jefferson was elected, he’d turn America into France. (Jefferson was quite the Francophile). Davy Crockett accused Martin Van Buren of wearing women’s corsets. Abraham Lincoln was charged with having smelly feet. Roosevelt called Taft “a rat in the corner.” And Lyndon Johnson’s hit squad produced a children’s coloring book that featured rival Barry Goldwater all dressed up in the robes of the KKK.

Of course, you can make anything look okay if you set the bar low enough. So I’m not suggesting that the rancor and division we are witnessing is acceptable. It isn’t. And the truth is, neither you nor I can do much about it on a grand scale. There are 146 million registered voters in the U.S. You get one vote. I get one vote. So what can we do?

For starters, it’s good to remember that God is in charge. Daniel 4:24 says, “. . . the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” It’s always a risky move to appropriate Old Testament quotes for contemporary issues – especially if they involve politics. America is not a theocracy, we aren’t a monarchy, and Old Glory doesn’t stand to the side of the throne in heaven. But the unlimited authority of God is consistently proclaimed from Genesis to Revelation. No matter who wins in November and no matter how they govern, God is sovereign. Whether your politics hues blue or red, put your hope in God – not in the horses and chariots of human government.

What does putting your hope in God look like on Monday morning? It means we spend more time in prayer for our leaders (whomever they may be) than we do fussing about how one-sided NPR is. In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, Paul wrote, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”

It means we focus on promoting peace in our personal relationships – and that includes our online connections. Seriously folks, can we just stop it with the Facebook, Instagram, Email, Twitter and Snapchat hit pieces? It’s great when someone posts something that celebrates how awesome God is. That digital witness is completely diluted when it’s followed by the latest gossip about how Trump plans to turn the White House into a casino for Nazi war criminals or Hillary’s motorcade, on the way to her weekly Wiccan worship service, ran over a brace of baby ducklings. Even if it’s true, it isn’t helpful for building others up according to their needs, (Ephesians 4:29).

Finally, as fitting for the Fourth of July, let’s be grateful that we live in a country founded on freedom. Last week, the Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, voted to pass a law that forbids religious groups from recruiting anyone to their faith. The upper house, the Federation Council, passed it on Friday. If it becomes law, Russian Christians will not be permitted to evangelize in any way outside the confines of their church facilities. Even an invitation to attend a service could be considered a violation.

You and I are free to celebrate our God and tell the good news of what he has done for us in Jesus to everyone we meet. Anywhere. Any time. Maybe if we did more of that, there’d be less politics and what politics remained would be less toxic.

Let’s do this. Let’s spend more time talking to God about our politicians and less time talking to each other about politics. Let’s talk more about what God is doing and less about what someone running for office might do.  And let’s remember that we are citizens first of the Kingdom of God – a kingdom that is not of this world.