Opting into Political Witness
Last January I listened in a small group while the founding pastor of a US megachurch shared the heartbreak he experienced following his failed attempt to soothe the 2020 election vitriol within his congregation. During that season between the pandemic and the election, he was urged by members of both the right and the left to declare for one party or the other. In response, he chose to boldly announce from the pulpit that he was a pastor, not a politician. Instead of coming across as reasonable and Jesus-centered, many congregants perceived him a coward. In their disappointment, more than one third of them left, including a number of previously close friends. I was left wondering, if a seemingly sensible statement by an experienced and humble leader could spark such a big reaction, what hope is there for me? As a result, I have been largely avoiding political conversation with church folk, family and friends alike. But I have known that opting out of the system is to collude with evil.[1]
In Jesus and the Powers, N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird offer a healthier and more theologically grounded option than either succumbing to congregant pressure to declare a political party or acting as if politics don’t exist. Although the kingdom of God is not from this world, “it is emphatically for this world.”[2] Reclaiming the topic of politics from popular media and placing it within the broader context of public theology is a reminder that humans have always been invited to have authority on earth. “God wants his world to be ruled by wise human governance,” but it is the church’s job to hold the human authorities to account.[3] Further, we are invited to use the structures for kingdom when they stop being worshiped sources of power.[4] This includes participating in and with God ordained structures of authority while fully recognizing their current limitations.
Highlighting the context of the earliest Jesus-followers within the power structure of the first century, the authors argue that authentic Christian witness always speaks truth to power by choosing to serve, instead of control, and by holding power accountable. James K. Smith says it this way, “the very fact of Christian worship is a twofold political act involving the formation of political agents and the proclamation to legislators and lawmakers that the created order of culture is subject to a higher law.”[5]
One way we miss the natural location of Christian witness within existing power structures is the emphasis on when we “go to heaven.” When Christians equate salvation, or the Gospel, with “going to heaven” they fail to recognize the call to work for the Kingdom even here by representing Jesus and his Kingdom way of life.
That is not the example of the earliest Christians. “Paul was not a travelling evangelist offering people a new religious experience, but an ambassador for a king-in-waiting, establishing cells of people loyal to this new king, and ordering their lives according to his story, his symbols and his praxis, and their minds according to his truth.”[6] It is almost as if what we call the “house churches” of the first century were cells of imperial resistance! Simply by being itself, the church can be political by organizing itself into mini-models of new Kingdom communities.
The authors make the point that effective Christian witness is not a question of either our verbal testimony about Jesus leading to salvation, or acts of service, but a holistic composite of both. They take the theological perspective that as citizens of the Kingdom of God now, we are to work for the Kingdom that is to come. Not only our acts of service, but the way we dialog about politics can be a model of Kingdom to come. So much of the time, the arguments of politics are really arguments about ideologies. Wright suggests that when we are able to name the underlying idols, then we can get through to healthy solutions. At that foundational level, there is a place to bring Jesus into the conversation.[7]
Pastors leading inevitably disagreeing congregations cannot get involved in partisanship, but they can continuously emphasize that human rulers are part of God’s plan, and that those rulers will always be imperfect. Pastors must resist the temptation to simplify issues that divide. One suggestion is offering congregational meetings at which people are invited to listen to each other, pray together and share table fellowship.[8] In a megachurch, a pulpit pronouncement might have seemed like a good idea, but perhaps a church-wide discussion group movement could have been a more helpful solution to unify around Jesus? Perhaps political discussion groups would even be an opportunity to invite friends and neighbors who have seen neither healthy political discussion, nor an image of Christians-being-reasonable?
[1] N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Reflective, 2024), 86.
[2] Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers, 12.
[3] Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers, 51.
[4] Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers, 60.
[5] James K.A. Smith, Awaiting the King (Cultural Liturgies): Reforming Public Theology. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017), 60.
[6] Wright and Bird, Jesus and the Powers, 21.
[7] Carey Nieuwhof, “The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast,” N.T. Wright on Christians Buying Into the Culture Wars, How the Gospel Is Political, and Advice on Leading Through the Election Without Losing People, September 6, 2024, 35:30.
[8] Carey Nieuwhof, 1:12:15.
About the Author
Julie O'Hara
14 responses to “Opting into Political Witness”
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Hi Julie, I like comment that the authors were not looking for an either verbal testimony or only acts of service but a combination of both. In the context of your work/life, do you see an avenue to witness truth to power using that model? If so, what might that look like? Your post got me thinking. For that I am grateful.
Hi Diane, Thank you for your question. It starts with the leader doesn’t it? Effective preaching is only effective if the preacher can authentically point to how God has worked in his or her life on said topic. One could preach about how Jesus spoke truth to power and use showing up at a town council meeting as an illustration. The preacher could invite the congregation to serve as a group meeting some unmet/ignored need in the town and so draw attention, in a good way, to caring for the community. Just a start on a couple of practical next steps.
Thanks for your post Julie. What stood out to me was when you said, “Pastors must resist the temptation to simplify issues that divide.” It is such a temptation to do so because, in many ways as teachers and preachers, we want to simplify the gospel and deliver biblical truth to people. But in this desire we unknowingly can contribute to divisive issues. What tips or tools would you recommend preachers utilize to preach messages about complex issues without contributing to the divide? I’m asking for a friend…
Friend, I am nobody to ‘recommend’ and definitely cannot claim any ‘pro-tips’ on this one. I do have some ideas. a) Ask the congregation for feedback on their concerns. Could be they just write something on a card, or could be listening sessions. b) Develop a sermon series. Hard stuff takes time. Just one thing in a sermon. Give many sermons. Let it breathe. c) Develop multiple arguments about issues. Present them all, highlight the parts that are consistent with Jesus’ teaching and/or life. d) Never try to be the answer person, just wrestle together e) PRAY and be sure to have a team that is praying with/for you. f) Honestly, this could be a great thing to turn into a bring-a-friend thing. g) Please present an opportunity to receive Jesus. “Salvation” may not be the end of our Christian walk, but it is the beginning. :). Thank you for giving me space to think out loud.
Julie, I enjoyed reading your post and your synopsis of pastors’ plight. Mastering your congregation’s political terrain is no easy feat. As you mentioned political discussion groups i wonder if you have seen any in your context and if so how successful were they?
Daren,
I have not personally experienced this. If I were going to stay at this interim longer, I might have gone for it – it was on the drawing board. I just have this sense that all signs point to going deep and the power of listening to show love to people: friends and strangers. Do you have any examples?
Daren,
I have not personally experienced this. If I were going to stay at this interim longer, I might have gone for it – it was on the drawing board. I just have this sense that all signs point to going deep and the power of listening to show love to people: friends and strangers. Do you have any examples?
Hi Julie, I loved your suggestion about offering congregational meetings where people can share a meal, pray, and discuss political topics from a Christ-centered perspective. I am craving this terribly. This is such a great idea, and yet rarely happens, most likely because of the division that would also come. I want to be a person that can listen well and also be unafraid of sharing my perspective. Have you considered doing something like this in your church?
Hi Christy,
Thanks for the question. I was considering doing this at the church where I have been serving as interim pastor. However, we have found the new pastor!
There is a video series called TalkPolitics (which I am NOT endorsing, I have NOT watched it!!) It is free and has some some small group resources. My plan was to check it out theologically, rhetorically, etc and then possibly use it. At the least, I thought to glean some helps for a discussion group even if the videos were not appropriate for the setting. Honestly, Jesus and the Powers as a book study might be the better bet! Also, NT Wright was just on Carey Nieuwhof podcast – I think you can watch it on YouTube. It’s long, so that could be 3 small group starter meetings?
Hi Julie! As always, thank you for another insightful, thought-provoking post. I appreciated how you highlighted the need for a holistic composite of verbal testimonies about Jesus and acts of service. I am still working to find this holistic balance in my life. Since last week’s Palestinian-Israeli conflict post, I have considered the importance of relationships and trust in this holistic balance. I keep asking myself, “How can we as leaders engage with those with which we disagree but still reassure them, ‘I am for you?'” I find this to be tricky waters to navigate.
Elysse – The thing that keeps coming up for me is the idea of listening. I believe it was highlight in the Ted talk you shared with me. I have a friend who leads 3Day intensives called “Our Community Listens” and from that I learned that ‘listening is love.’ When we listen to people we are putting them first and taking the backseat – Like giving others our full attention. Listening is an action that may demonstrate more than our words could say. I think.
Thanks, Julie. I believe you are absolutely correct. I am going to look up the course you mentioned. I would love to see something like this in North Africa.
Julie,
I love your idea at the end about gathering groups of people to discuss topics. It is a great idea but as I think about how it might be possible to do I think about the challenges that it would bring. We do need to learn to listen to others and learn to disagree well with others again. Has your church attempted anything like this?
Hi Adam,
Thanks for the question – I feel like I answered above, so I will just refer you there. Thank you for reading my post.