Galatians 5:13-25
Our Cause Must Be Love

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

New International Version

I am distressed that the "religious right" is widely considered to be a mainstream faction in modern politics. I am appalled that many religious organizations choose to model themselves after political power brokers and treat believers as a "voting block". I offer this passage in Galatians to explain why I feel as strongly as I do about this point.

In the political arena, causes are carefully crafted by politicians to create sharp divisions in favor of one faction or another, with the primary goal to promote fund-raising, influence public opinion, and win votes. Just in the last few weeks, the United States Congress considered legislation that would both raise the minimum wage and preserve a set of tax cuts for the rich. The conservative politicians crafted this legislation, confident that it would be defeated because of the tax cuts to the rich, so they could defend themselves against liberal politicians in their election campaigns by claiming they supported increasing the minimum wage. These posturings and divisive subversions are fundamental building blocks of the political process, and they happen in both liberal and conservative groups--this is a natural part of politics in a democracy.

In the political arena, no decisions are made and no laws are passed without compromises. The press regularly exposes "pork barrel" projects that were included as provisions in enacted laws in order to shock and surprise the public (and increase their ratings and advertising revenue). We can ask the question of why the federal government would spend $223 million in Alaska for a bridge to an island with 50 residents, and the answer is the same for every part of any bill--this compromise was found to be necessary to get other, more important legislation passed. Having lawmakers of all political persuasions who can negotiate compromises in private keeps the legislative process working. Compromise is an natural and essential part of politics.

Politics is carried out every time a group of people with differing opinions seek to find a common ground for action. It takes place in legislative bodies, in communities, in businesses, and even in churches. But Paul's list above cautions us that politics can draw on sinful motivations! Read the passage above again where Paul cautions that "(t)he acts of the sinful nature are obvious: ...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy". With the common ground of God's Love, church politics can often function without these sinful forces causing damage. Outside of the church, dissensions and factions are a weapon, selfish ambition is considered a mark of leadership, and hatred is harnessed as a powerful way to generate votes.

Can Christians be politicians? Absolutely!

Should Christians take political stands and vote their conscience? Of course!

Should Christianity seek to become a political movement? Never! Christianity does not promote divisive posturing, and Christianity does not call believers to compromise. Christianity is not a platform constructed of "hot button" political issues, whether those issues are stem-cell research or famine in developing nations. Further more, Paul's letter even warns us to avoid contentious struggles, for "if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

Christianity is entirely about changing the heart of each individual by the power of Love found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The issues that are identified as being in "religious right" political causes are morality issues--issues of the Law. Paul repeatedly wrote that the Law convicts us of sin, and under the Law we deserve death. But we as Christians are called to spread eternal life through God's Grace and Love, not morality, law and death! Of course we should favor morality over immorality, but beware the politician who disguises his pet project and manipulates voters on moral grounds, and those manipulators are legion. The real choice we as Christians must make is whether we serve the Law or whether we serve Grace.

The evidence that we have experienced Grace and that we are following Christ is that we have a change in heart, motivated by Love, so that we willingly offer ourselves as servants to one another. Paul's letter tells us that the evidence we have received this Love includes patience... kindness... gentleness... self-control. We are called to abandon judgmental behavior and touch individuals with God's mercy. We are called to set aside our focus on the masses to offer a cup of water to a person. God no longer speaks from a fiery cloud to the wandering tribe of Israel, but to one seeking soul at a time through us.

So, it seems to me that God leads us away from "movements" and toward actions of Love to individual persons. It is a kind gesture to give money to organizations offering humanitarian aid, but the Godly action is to fund the work of people who will be meeting the physical and spiritual needs of individuals. Neither opposing nor supporting the Kyoto Convention on global climate change does the work of Love God calls us to do, and our angry rhetoric on either side of the debate damages our ability to offer Love. There are moral arguments on all sides of every major social issue of our day, but moral arguments (which Paul called the Law) can only condemn; the Law cannot offer God's Grace. The Godly action is to reach out in Love towards individuals.

Yes, we should be good citizens, giving honor to our leaders, studying and weighing the issues, and participating in the political process, but we should never think that being a good citizen makes us a good Christian. In areas of politics, as with any area of human endeavor, our first, best calling as followers of Jesus is not voting, campaigning, or protesting--we are called to love people as God has loved us.