Whole Faith Thoughts in a Wholly Unholy Time

I’m currently working on two blog posts. One is the transcription of a great conversation I had with a Wisconsin farm family about how their faith has led them to a form of livestock raising that rejuvenates the land, produces healthy food, and is good for the animals. The other examines Revelation 5:13 and what that means for our understanding of the whole arc of the Bible and of time itself. I’m also planning to partner on some future posts with Ryan O’Connor to share reviews of documentaries and other environment-focused resources that individuals and churches would find helpful.

I can’t, however, ignore these turbulent times and the election. So I am going to dive in with some observations in the form of a letter to a fictitious cousin. I present him as someone becoming curious about Jesus and the God of the whole Bible but confused and even unsettled by our current times.

Dear Wyatt;

I want to say how much I have enjoyed our renewed relationship. We’ll need to get together sometime some place in the middle with our wives and children. I know we’d have a great time. It’s a heartwarming to not only connect with family but then to find one shares many similar outlooks on the world.

I’ve welcomed the fact that we’ve begun discussing the Bible, Jesus, and how everything all fits together. Our common ancestors had some very deep religious roots, didn’t they? But those have not carried into the modern generation very well. Many of our extended family no longer believe in the God their ancestors did. Why that is the case would make for another good conversation.

But I write because in our last converation you expressed confusion and even cynicism about the veracity of what is in the Bible because of the state of our country and the upcoming election. Specifically, you did not understand how so many people calling themselves Christians can be strong supporters of President Trump and the Republican Party.

I didn’t have good answers, but I felt I should. This letter is my attempt to do that.

When I need to wrestle with hard questions, I turn to writing. Good writing can only come from clear thinking. So forcing myself to write coherrently on an issue forces my mind to think about the issue squarely. When I find a line of insight that hangs together well, I take it, even if it takes me in a surprising and unorthodox direction.

I’ll be honest. I am having a difficult time making sense of our country and the role many Christians are playing in its direction. I feel anger, frustration, fear, and sometimes pure hopelessness. But every morning I pray, and I try to hold on to faith. In Jesus I know that God also understands our suffering even as God also calls for us to live with the love and courage of Jesus.

So I offer my own opinions to the questions that seem to be at the heart of what you are struggling with. These are my opinions based on what I read in the Bible and what I believe I have learned about God and Jesus over the years.

What would a truly Christian approach to politics look like?

Every Single Thing: All of life would be lived out in ways that reflect God’s wishes and God’s ways. And that includes politics.

Even Words: Words are the fundamental foundation of politics. Our use of words is an ethical and spiritual act. The words of Christians must be full of truth and show love of neighbor, even in the world of politics. Politicians, of course, lie and misrepresent so often that we are calloused to it. But God is not. And it’s time for us to stop being calloused about it, too. Christian politicians, and the politicians Christians support, would be at a level of truth and integrity above all others.

Cautious About Power: Politics is largely about how power is used in and outside of a country. Governments have power to make rules, to enforce rules, and to exercise in our international relations. True Christian politics would be cautious about the use of power and would be concerned for the vulnerable and the poor. You cannot escape the concern in the Bible for the vulnerable and those who do not have power. Both oppressive governments and overly dominant business interests run counter to the grain of the Bible. This never means that power is to be avoided. Government can play a wise role in directing society’s common interests. Private entrepreneurial creativity can bring great benefits. But a Christian politics would continually push for the right balance.

God’s Kingdom and Values Above All: The loyalty of the Christian should always be first to God and God’s Kingdom. When the values of God’s Kingdom clash with our country’s interests or our party’s fortunes, God’s Kingdom must come first.

Rules and Laws: Christians and the people they allow to lead them should have the highest character. They should follow laws and rules zealously and be as fair as possible. Corruption and exploiting the system for personal or party gain are, again, grievous sins against God. Christians can’t accept these kinds of actions.

Humility and Openness to Rebuke: Christian politics are inherently humble. True Christians reocgnize that they are fallen and that they need God’s grace just as their neighors have fallen and also need God’s grace. True Christians are open to correction and rebuke and are ready to change their own ways.

How can we make sense of strong Christian support for Donald Trump and the modern day Republican Party?

I agree with everything you have said about the current president. He breaks all of the Christian norms of life and the principles of Christian politics I’ve just listed. That church-going Christians can vote for Trump reflects an approach to Christianity and life untethered from the Bible, Jesus, and the Spirit of God.

A vote for Trump, it appears to me, is part of a reaction among conservative Christians against a growing secular and atheistic culture. That culture appears openly hostile and dismissive of people of faith. This is a real thing. But that is no excuse for voting for Trump and the Republican Party he is making in his image.

How to explain it?

Start with the marriage between the Church and national power. When Chrisitanity first appeared, it was seen as a radical, strange, subversive movement that was antithetical to Roman values and Roman power. When Emperor Constantine made Christianity the Roman Empire’s religion, Roman interests and Christian interests were brought together in ways that resulted in a less pure practice of the Christian faith. When Christianity became married to nation states, the interests of the nation state and its dominant culture then tempted churches to compromise the values of Jesus. Vice President Pence epitomizes the moral compromises conservative Christianity is willing to make for national power to serve its interests.

It is not just American national power that conservative Christianity has become very comfortable with. Conservative Christianity tends to favor the corporate and individual’s freedom to use power almost without limit. It worships freedom without any hint that freedom must be balanced with responsibility and ethical concern for others and other life that God loves. It is also comfortable with the political system today that is lubricated largely by funding from business interests. Republican Christians look the other way when power is cunningly used to suppress voting and gerrymander voting districts.

You must still ask why does this cruel and unbiblical approach to power find a home in the hearts of some Christians? When you feel you are in a spiritual war, then I think it is easier to go along with harsh measures and to look away from the worst things your allies do. The dominant narrative of the End Times, which is not the only interpretation of Revelation possible, gives conservative Christians license to feel that we are in a take-no-prisoners struggle against evil. The ethics of Jesus no longer apply.

Finally, we need to be honest about race. President Trump has made the Republican Party the comfortable home for white power and white racism. Christian Republicans go along with this. Could this reflect the comfort that many churches had with cruel slavery for centuries?

But what about abortion?

Wyatt, I can read your thoughts. I know you and your wife have deep emotions and convictions around abortion, especially because of your experience with having difficultty conceiving. You and wife also know the intricacies of the life and development of a child in the womb.

It is this issue that causes many Christians to vote Republican. The concern of many Republican Christians for unborn babies is sincere, real, and full of true Christian compassion.

But there is something very wrong in how myopic Republicans apply their pro-life principles. I’ve already written about this. Use laws to limit abortions? Of course. The more the better. Use laws to limit polluition and chemicals that cause cancers and harm God’s life? No. That will harm our economy and limit our freedoms. Use laws and government bodies to protect vulnerable consumers? No. Too much government interference. Use laws to protect coverage for existing conditions and offer a public health care option? No. That might nudge us into the orbit of something that smells a little like socialism.

In short, the pro-life position of Republicans is, it seems to me, in direct contradiction to the Repubican Party’s larger fealty to a completely unfettered free market economy and culture that supports commercial interests over people and God’s earth. The cynic in me sees the Republican Party’s pro-life platform as a deal that doesn’t harm business interests but gives the party’s Darwinian approach to the economy a sheen of religious goodness.

Why do I not feel enthusiasm for Democrats?

A second term of president by Donald Trump would be a disaster for many true Christain values and for the ability of the faith to appeal to people like you for decades to come.

But the Democratic Party is also a hard place in which to find a home.

Here are just a few reasons why I say that.

Joe Biden, from all indications, is a fundamentally decent person. Our government under Joe Biden would work again and not be corrupt. His administration would adopt many specific policy measures that are more compassionate.

However, one of his deficiiencies, which is a Democratic deficiency, is an inability to speak of positive values that hold together the Democratic Party and would hold together America. The Democratic Party is too often a loose coalition of interest and identity groups. The Party doesn’t seem to have binding principles that would resonate with most Americans of good will.

What will hold our country together as one? What standards does everyone need to live by? I have not heard anything like that from Democrats. And the fact that the pro-lifers are largely unwelcome in Democratic circles indicates that Democrats are not fully committed to holding people accountable to protecting vulnerable life

It has also been stunning that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have not been able to speak against China what is doing internally  and externally. This is a ruthless empire within its own borders (see Hong Kong and with the Uighurs for examples) and beyond. Freedom and fairness mean nothing to its leaders. When Democratics go soft on China out of fear of loss of trade, one cannot help but think the Democratic Party’s concerns about justice are very selective.

And, of course, there is a tendency in some progessive circles to dismiss and ridicule people of faith, especially the Christian faith. Is some of it a reaction to the trends we’ve seen in conservative Christianity? Probably. But there is something more there as well. The ideas that there might be a God who holds people accountable for certain standards of life and there might be mysterious power in the universe that does not fit with orthodox science are profoundly threatening to the most progressive Democrats. And the most progressive Democrats tend to be comfortable with shutting down ideas and thoughts that don’t fit their own orthodoxies.

As a whole faith Christian, I’m sad to say I cannot truly be at home in either party. And our two party system freezes out true potlical diversity that could actually give us a party of integrity and coherent values.

If Christians can differ so much about American politics, what does it say about the Christian Faith?

My wife recently received an email from another church member strongly encouraging church members on the email chain to vote Republican. In a follow-up exchange with my wife, the church member called President Trump “a God-fearing man.”

If President Trump is considered a “God-fearing man” then the Scriptures and two thousand years of the Christian faith and thousands more of Jewish traditions are meaningless.

In short, we’ve crossed a line. The term “Christian” no longer means anything.

There is no commonly accepted definition for what the Christian faith-life really looks like.

There are some who will point to confessions and doctrines as giving us those distinctions. But doctrinal correctness matched with consistent patterns of behavior  and philosophy that are the opposite of virtue in the Bible is meaningless. In fact, it is worse than meaningless. It mars the goodness and truth of God and God’s wishes for the world.

A transformed life in communion with God is the point of giving one’s life to God, not an optional amenity.

Is there any reason to continue to look for a church or some other faith gathering?

The Bible is full of people living in communities of God-following people. So it is ideal to be with other people of faith. If you can find a church where God is worshipped and you feel comfortable and challenged, that is a beauiful thing. There are millions of sincere, loving Christians around the world, and many are in churches.

But I’ve concluded that you and I should not feel guilty if we find that our reading of the whole Bible makes us feel comfortable neither with conservative churches nor more liberal ones.

Remember, conventional church is not the only option. Prophets and prophetic communities can be needed when mainline religion is no longer a good fit. The early Christian gatherings were largely in people’s homes. Remember, the first monastic orders were in reaction to the excesses of the Roman Empire. It is also said that every 500 years or so the Judaic-Christian tradition goes through dramatic change and revision. I feel we are due for that.

There are stirrings of people longing for a diferent experience of faith and life in the service of Jesus and in communion with God. We may well be on the path to a new way of following Jesus with others in a whole faith way. They may offer a better way to reach people turned off by conventional Christianity or who have never really encountered a loving relationship around God.

I meet and communicate with many people like this. They are out there.

How does God’s earth fit into all this?

We’ve already had some good conversations about this as both of our families share love of hiking and growing healthy food. So I wanted to end this letter on this topic. The earth is not a disposable trifle. How any body of faith thinks and acts together towards Creation is a pretty good indicator of how whole its approach to faith is. It’s a bad sign when the fruits of a body faith are the ongoing destruction of God’s earth and an unwillingness to even try to deal with growing climate chaos. You are not alone in not understanding how you could follow a faith whose members support what President Trump has done to weaken protections for the health of God’s earth.

What I most want to say to you, Wyatt, is this – don’t give up on engaging with the Jesus and God of the Bible and being open to God’s Spirit in your family’s life. If you cannot find a church where you find a deep reverence for God, a willingness to be accountable to each other, and common commitment to learning together and transforming one’s character together, then be willing to be a spiritual nomad for awhile until new expressions emerge.

This is a world that is holy and full of meaning and that God needs us to engage in. Whatever the new forms of Jesus-centered communities and ministries will be, they will need good and creative and humble people like you and your family.

But be sure to find even one other family, one person, who can take that path with you. We would love to do that with you.

Fondly,

Nathan

P.S. To read a more hopeful and very insightful piece about divisions within Christianity during this election, check out this article in Christianity Today.