“It has been said that parties are a reflection of those they represent and that we get the leaders we deserve. We need to come to terms with the hard truth that what we saw on night 1 of the RNC was a reflection of failed Christian political engagement.”
A man I don’t follow said that on X, then followed with what he thought was “wrong” with American Christianity.
I’ll tell you what’s wrong. What’s wrong is that anyone who claims Christianity has “faith” in any political system at all. Truth is, we’re on a trajectory that should make none of this surprising. I’ve been watching it for years – “Christians” lining up behind and cheering for a lying, adulterer – a classic “strong-man” who acts like he’s all for the common man but pretty much only works to promote himself. Let’s not forget the path of destruction he’s left behind, and let’s not ignore the destruction yet to come. The Republicans are not your friends, people.
But let’s not let the Democrats off the hook. They’re just as bad, but more subtly so. They’ve propped up a dottering old man by lying to the people (and him, apparently). They’ve overexaggerated and relentlessly put words in the mouths of their opponents to foment fear. They call their opponent a fascist and incessantly compare him to Hitler. They excoriate “billionaires” for not paying their fair share, and yet spend (with the Republicans) well beyond what taxing every billionaire in the US every cent of their money would be able to pay for. And let’s not forget that most of them are themselves multi-millionaires. They’re beating that same drum, hoping to play the people as much as fools as the Republicans.
The best we Christians can do is stave off the inevitable for a few more years, but that in only preaching the literal gospel truth and letting that do the work. As Pastor Tom Shrader would say (and I’m paraphrasing – he’s been dead for some time now so I haven’t heard him lately), “You can sober a guy up, and maybe even get him into a church, but without the gospel, he’ll just be sober and going to hell.”
God changes hearts and minds, not me. But I still have to speak his truth and hope it falls on ears willing to hear. And then maybe someone will vote for the candidate that actually represents their best interests (i.e. not a member of the Republican or Democratic party). Problem is, no one actually believes this, so they vote Republican. Or they vote Democrat. Then they wonder why Republicans have former satanists and Fans Only creators speaking at their convention. Not that I object – this is the lesson of Jesus, but it doesn’t go far enough. Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes and called them in repentance to himself. The people at the Republican National Convention are simply having the tax collectors and prostitutes pay fealty to Donald Trump instead.
The only thing that surprises me about it is that anyone is surprised at all. This is human nature. God created a beautiful world in Genesis 1 and 2, but by chapter 6 he wanted to wipe it out and start over. He spared humanity and gave us another chance, but he did tell us there would come a day that his patience would run out. That “he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” I’m not one for sandwich boards on the corner, but I’m not afraid to say it’s looking more and more like the end is near.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” That’s not me talking here – that’s how Jesus himself opened his earthly ministry in the first chapter of Mark’s telling of the gospel. Christian, stop looking at political conventions and ruing your ineffectiveness in changing the hearts and minds of our ruling elite. Give them Christ. They are lost without him whether they’re running the country how you like it or not. And please don’t put your faith in any earthly government (ours or anyone else’s). Don’t disengage but engage simply with the Truth. “The wages of sin – the way in which we all live our lives – is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Give them that. Be God’s mouthpiece. Then watch God do his work.
