Heidi Unruh
Passionate Politics Our winner-take-all political culture rewards activism that is simplistic, shortsighted, and suspicious. We are encouraged to posture rather than produce, complain rather than create, mock and attack rather than reconcile and resolve. Four out of five political ads sponsored by outside groups in the 2008 election were negative. Total campaign spending in 2010 mounted to nearly $4 billion. Anti-government militia groups have increased by 61 percent since 2000. Thus we have good reason to dread the encroaching presidential campaign season. We may be tempted to agree with Thomas Jefferson: “Politics is such a torment that I advise everyone I love not to mix with it.” Yet as Christian citizens, we have an obligation to insert ourselves into the mix. Romans 13:1 suggests that members of a democracy should participate in civic life as stewards of their political authority. Apathy and abdication are not constructive options. We must engage in politics with passion. You’re probably thinking: Aren’t our political woes the result of too much passion? Shouldn’t we all just calm down? Passion often fuels destructive deeds, but it is also essential to achieving good ends. As Rick Warren states, “Nothing great is ever accomplished in life without passion. Nothing great is ever sustained in life without passion.” What most of us are passionate about, honestly, is preserving the status quo. We Americans live fairly comfortable lives and get riled up by apparent threats to our security. The Tea Party, for example, has largely attracted people not previously active in politics—until they perceived their way of life to be at stake. Meanwhile, those who have been excluded from rights or benefits are passionate about winning their due. A different kind of political activism is grounded in passion for Christ and his kingdom. These political commitments flow from a consuming love
W ashington Watch for God that fuels love of neighbor (Mark 12:29-31). This kind of passion always considers the good of others alongside our own, and God’s purposes above all (Philippians 2:4). What characterizes political activism that “strive[s] first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33)? 1. Visionary patience: The phrase “passionate politics” may invoke an image of angry protesters, but as Jim Wallis writes, “The best protest is not merely countercultural, it ... gives a society a better vision for itself and for the future. That is the way of the prophets. They began in judgment but ended in hope for change.” The prophets exposed the excesses, exploitation, and idolatry of their society. Yet they also unveiled glimpses of society as God intended it. “There should be no poor among you” (Deut.15:4). “They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune” (Isa. 65:22-23). “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Mic. 4:3). “The nations on every shore will worship the Lord, every one in its own land” (Zeph. 2:11). “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). The prophets staked their lives on the hope of these visions, without seeing them fulfilled. A deep yearning for God’s kingdom “on earth as in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) drives us to pursue justice and righteousness despite expecting only limited fruit in our lifetime. 2. Bold humility. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Prov. 31:8). The prophets and the early church set an example of boldly and sacrificially speaking truth to power (e.g., Acts 5:29-30). In the political realm, courage is often confused with hubris. Abraham Lincoln remarked that people “are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them.” We must be honest with ourselves about the mixed motives that creep into our best inten-
tions. An accountable community can help keep us from conceit or passivity in public life. Boldness derives not from conviction of our rightness but from confidence in the ultimate triumph of God’s righteousness and justice. 3. Radical integrity. Passion divorced from truth becomes a weapon. Godly ends never justify dishonest or ungracious means. Refrain from repeating falsehoods, unfounded claims, half-baked analysis, or sensationalist propaganda. Do your homework before hitting “forward” on your email or pasting to your Facebook page (I plead guilty). Listen to political opponents without prejudice, lest you misrepresent their motives or position. The word radical shares the same root as radish, meaning “rooted.” To become passionate radicals for Christ we must be deeply rooted in God’s love, increasingly reflecting God’s character. True radicalism is displayed as fully in one’s conduct at a town hall meeting as in one’s zeal for ending hunger. What is at the core of your being that fuels your passion? Will your political involvement be driven by fear of losing what has been yours or greed for what could be yours—or will you follow in the steps of the Suffering Servant, whose passion led him to sacrifice for others? As Isaiah foretold: “He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth” (Isa. 42:4). As you slog through the mudsplattered, uphill field of political involvement, may you be guided and sustained by a vision of servant activism that integrates faith and justice, and may your hope never grow faint. May your passion transform you as you seek to transform the world. Heidi Unruh is director of the Congregations, Community Outreach and Leadership Development Project, and author of Churches That Make a Difference (Baker, 2002).
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