The word politics has been a source of fighting for hundreds of years. We are not allowed to talk about politics (or religion) at family gatherings, church fellowships or most anywhere. It just upsets people and starts arguments. No one wants to fight with Uncle Bill with turkey about to be served!
Therein lies the problem. If we cannot talk about religion and politics with our family we have a real problem. The real problem is we refuse to talk about controversial things that make us uncomfortable and we do not want to hear someone disagree with us. This makes us modern Pharisees and Sadducees. When we don’t discuss things that matter, things that impact millions of people, we are not following Christ.
Let’s be honest here, Jesus was put to death because he dared to point out the politics of his day, the religious who were conspiring with Rome. In political terms, Jesus was what is called a radical. Not a conservative, neo-conservative, liberal, neo-liberal or even libertarian. Jesus was beyond that scope. Gandhi, Mandela, King, these were radicals because they did not care about who was right, they didn’t care to punish those who oppressed, all of them were so radical that the goal was reconciliation.
What does the Gospel call us to do? To feed the poor, heal the sick, love the oppressed, take care of the widows and love our enemies. Now that is radical! Jesus was clearly a socialist in that from day one, everyone shared and everyone was their brother’s or sister’s, keeper. It is irrelevant as to the label given this behavior. It is called being a follower/disciple of Christ. We don’t want to talk about these things because it exposes us for who we really are instead of who we say we are.
Until we can (as my college students might say) “Speak truth” to one another in love, more will continue to go hungry or be sick or be oppressed. Jesus spent 33 years standing up for the oppressed, both spiritually and politically. He was not afraid to talk about the issues and to point out where the people in power of his time got it wrong and what it would take to fix it. With a few exceptions noted in Scripture, they refused to listen, kept the “party line” and when they had heard enough and seen enough, they murdered him. Make no mistake, Rome put this rabble-rouser to death and the Jews sat back and approved of it.
Today, in this world, are we not doing the same? Christians across this country are standing idly by, not talking about what is going on and letting people go hungry, die without healthcare or sleep on the streets. From the very beginning, God put humankind in charge of all of creation, to tend it as the Good Shepherd tends it, to love it, to honor it and to hold it Sacred. Maybe it is time we became the shepherds and vinedressers Jesus used in so many parables. Maybe it is time to embody love by standing for those who cannot stand for themselves and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
TMM