Anyone interested in advancing God’s Kingdom?
This week, I found it incredibly meaningful to engage in the writings of two of our Advance guest presenters, Brett E. Fuller, and Jim Wallis. My title might be a bit playful, as it comes from Fuller’s expressed desire in writing High Ceilings that he wanted to “share [his] insights with anyone who has an interest in advancing the Kingdom” [1]. By unpacking his Complementarian-Egalitarian position, I say a bit tongue-in-cheek, Kingdom-building begins at home.
And so it is that the other books from this week’s readings carry with them a call to “begin at home” for the United States. If there is an interest in advancing the Kingdom of God, this nation (and as a Canadian, I say mine too) must look to its own house first, and address systemic issues related to race and power, and the negotiation of faith and politics.
Fuller’s invitation in Dreaming in Black and White is for Christ-following people to offer experientially-grounded wisdom that builds a society of racial justice and peace [2]. He draws upon his own lived experience, and the story experienced by black Americans. One profound example he shared was how his father responded to racism when his kids were denied access to the public pool, by putting in the first backyard pool on their street, and offering it to others who were denied access. Near the end of the book, he shared a principle that aligns with his father’s example.
We are at our best when we are not retreating in anger but investing our gifts for the good of others. This is what we are made for. This is what changes lives. This is how we fulfill our destinies. This is also what the great chronicle of black America illustrates for us. This is the inheritance we are called to steward, and how we fashion change in our time [3].
Here’s a question. While in Washington, I plan to visit the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and will have had a chance to confirm for myself how they handle slavery. I would love to ask Brett about the current developments towards his vision to acknowledge and memorialize slaves in a way that has not yet been done in Washington [4].
Jim Wallis’ work, God’s Politics, foreshadows its raison d’être through it’s amazing subtitle: “Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It”. Wallis’ basic argument is that the Right has “hijacked the language of faith for its political agenda” and has limited its sense of the Christian moral agenda to issues like gay marriage and abortion, when the Scriptures issue a clear moral call to care for the poor and the sojourners, protect the environment, and peace making [5]. The Left, on the other hand, tries to leave faith out of ethics and society building, engaging in some selective memory about how people of faith were the leaders in issues like the suffrage movement and emancipation of slaves within the progressive history, and the Civil Rights movement [6]. Instead of Conservative in everything, Liberal on everything, Libertarian (just leave me alone in my moral choices, and don’t spend my money), Wallis offers what he calls a “fourth option” that remains traditional on issues of family values, sexual integrity, and personal responsibility, but very progressive on tackling poverty, injustice and inequality [7].
My question relates to his “predictions for a new millennium” near the end of the book [8]. The current election cycle aside, what are some of the most critical steps that Christian people ought to take now to address the current course of history in and from the United States?
I look forward to interacting with both these leaders, and in picking up the challenge to get our own Christian house in order in terms of how we live as followers of Jesus in the public square.
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[1] Brett E. Fuller, High Ceilings: Women in Leadership, Independently published, 2021, 1.
[2] Brett Fuller, Dreaming In Black And White, S.L.: Bookbaby, 2021, 14.
[3] Dreaming, 150.
[4] Dreaming, 78-79.
[5] Jim Wallis: ‘God’s Politics’ Interviewed by C.T. Vivian (Part 1 of 2) – YouTube,” August 23, 2012, 2:40.
[6] “God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It”, C-SPAN.Org”, Accessed September 17, 2024, https://www.c-span.org/video/?189504-12/gods-politics-wrong-left-it, 1:48.
[7] Jim Wallis, God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2008, 74.
[8] God’s Politics, 368-370.
About the Author
Joel Zantingh
Joel Zantingh serves as the Canadian Coordinator of the World Evangelical Alliance's Peace and Reconciliation Network, and as Director of Engagement with Lausanne Movement Canada. He has served in local and national roles within the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, and led their global mission arm. He has experience teaching in formal and informal settings with Bible college students and leaders from various cultures and generations. Joel and Christie are parents to adult children, as well as grandparents. They reside in Guelph, Ont., situated on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and home to many past, present and future First Nations peoples, including the Anishinnabe and Hodinöhsö:ni'.9 responses to “Anyone interested in advancing God’s Kingdom?”
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Hi Joel, thanks for your post. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on Fuller’s Complementarian-Egalitarian position on the role and men and women in society, church, and the home.
Maybe not surprisingly, I hadn’t heard much of this position, but I usually hear more from a binary perspective on complementarianism and egalitarianism.
In the end, I think the question that wasn’t fully answered is “what does it mean to be a leader in a marriage?” Does it mean primary decision-making? Does it mean authority? Does it mean vision-casting? Does it mean a higher level of faithfulness, love, and accountability?
Would love any thoughts that you have on this!
Christy, Dr Fuller has not fleshed out how his position works, except he gives a nod to Christ as head of the Church, who loves the Church, and “gave Himself up for the Church”. Perhaps we could extrapolate that Headship = self-sacrificial love.
Also, I wish he would have fleshed out his Gen 2:18 reference to the woman as “helper” (Ezer Kenegdo), as it is also used of nations who assist Israel in battle, but most often attributed to God in the Hebrew Scriptures. By understanding the predominating use, associated with military help, the implication is not weakness or lesser partner, but a rescuer, strong support, or warrior. (Look up Ezer Kenegdo for more on this – I use Accordance software for my source).
I do not prefer complementarían or egalitarian language, but I seek to function as one who serves.
Hi Joel,
Your post has me rethinking the pool story in a way I had not considered. The financial ability to build a swimming pool is reflective of a particular form of power, namely, wealth. Any thoughts on how can the church also become multicultural in terms of socio-economic diversity?
Julie, this is a great question for Dr Fuller if we get the chance. It was my understanding that his father built the pool not to horde it as a family, but to generously offer it to others who were excluded. We all face varying degrees of privilege or need, but the Matthew 6 & Acts 2 Kingdom Finances invite us to see wealth and things as stewarded (because all we have belongs to the Lord) and offered / shared generously.
Joel you always have thought provacative posts. How would you envision the church tackling faith and politics in the public square in this climate?
Daren, my vision needs to be added to some others, who have thought through various perspective on public engagement from a faith perspective. For instance, our “faithful presence”, an idea that David Fitch unpacks, lines up with our discussion from Sept 9, putting Christian / Politics interactions on a range from Anabaptists to Augustine to Christian Nationalism. Whatever the paradigm or bias of engagement, I envision Christians learning to welcome diverse voices, and respond, whether we are winning or losing a particular partisan battle, with the ethic of Jesus and the values of King Jesus whom we follow and serve. What are your thoughts on the climate?
Joel, my fellow Canadian, thanks for your post. What “issues at home” would you challenge the Canadian church to deal with? How would those differ from those in the US?
Joel, you talk about how advancing the kingdom must begin at home. As a Canadian looking at the US, where do you see overlap in our kingdom-building categories (Left/Right) and how do you think we can begin at home to do what Wallis suggests, with the “fourth option”?
Hi Joel, I appreciated how you highlighted Fuller’s thoughts: “We are our best when we are not retreating in anger but investing our gifts for the good of others.” This was one of my favorite thoughts in the book.
Something that impacted me was Fuller’s experience with whites who were not outwardly hostile but more covertly discriminatory. I believe Christians are still guilty of this behavior. I am curious to know if you have recognized any of this covert discrimination in your reconciliation work? What are some healthy ways to “call people out” on this behavior?