Greed, envy, lying, coveting, lust, vengeance, and even murder have become the currency of our political discourse, both nationally and, to some extent, locally. We have long lists of one another’s public and private transgressions just waiting to be displayed before the court of public opinion. Of course, if the actual transgressions don’t suffice, we parade accusations of potential wrongs to see if they can grease the wheels of destruction. And if these aren’t enough to destroy our opponent, we’ll dig up the sins of their ancestors and demand that they atone for the past. Surely, that will be enough to crush our opponents (we’ll use “opponent” because the word “enemy” makes it sound too angry and personal). It’s no wonder that very few good people wish to enter the political arena.
In a country that loves to say things like “you can’t legislate morality” and “religion needs to stay out of politics,” I’d like to suggest that what we really need is the exact opposite. One would hope that the public still has enough cultural Christian memory to recognize how the Ten Commandments are being trampled upon with utter disregard. Still, our flagrant abuse only betrays our disbelief in the God who gives and takes away. What we need right now, first to receive and then to give, is forgiveness—forgiveness from the God against whom we have sinned and without which we are in grave danger of real and impending judgment.
Our lists of grievances against one another, our records of wrongs, betray a bitterness that the Apostle Paul forbids us to hold onto (Ephesians 4:31). In his book, How to Be Free from Bitterness, author Jim Wilson points out that “Guilt is what we feel when we sin, and bitterness is what we feel when others sin against us. The very definition of bitterness points to the action of another… Bitterness is always based upon someone else’s sin—whether real or imagined.” The problem is that bitterness itself is the sin of our refusal to forgive the sins of another, and it rots us from the inside. Unfortunately, I can think of no better description of our political climate today than one that is rotting from the inside and filled with long records of wrongs. We clearly need someone to save us.
The need of our day is for leadership that will build what is right rather than spending colossal efforts to point out all the sins of others. This can only come from someone who has experienced forgiveness and can therefore be quick to offer forgiveness as well (Luke 7:41-50). After generations of effort to remove God from politics, can anyone really say with a straight face that our political climate is improving? All legislation is moral, and what we need more than ever are leaders unashamed to repent of our disregard for God’s law and openly determined to rectify our wrongs. This won’t look like repeating a long list of our opponents’ sins, but like privately confessing our own before God and asking for the wisdom to take responsibility for what’s in front of us. When we do this, we will find ourselves regaining our proper place of leadership because authority flows to those who take responsibility.
It’s true that Jesus didn’t come and die for a particular government, but for individual sinners. Fortunately, this is what governments are made of, so there is hope. Remember that culture is downstream from worship, and that is why the course correction for our local culture must begin in the house of God. When those who claim the name of Christ look for opportunities to forgive and repent of their bitterness, because of the great grace they themselves have received, we will find ourselves effective in leadership. This is how the Gospel can set straight even something as twisted as our politics, which, from my perspective, is one of the needs of our day.
We need to invite the Christ of Christianity back into our politics.
Brian Bouteller
