Resisting the Powers
My mother immigrated from Japan to the United States when she was 18 years old. She knew very little English but enrolled in a university and managed to graduate with a degree in mathematics. She met my father, married, and later became a United States citizen.
Two of my four closest colleagues immigrated to the United States from Africa, one as a student, and one on a work visa. One has chosen to become a United States citizen, one has chosen to maintain her home country’s citizenship.
My neighbors are Afghan refugees. All served with the US military and abruptly fled their country after the Taliban regained control of their country in 2021.
My brother-in-law serves in the US military and has served two tours in Iraq and is soon on to another deployment to the Texas border.
My husband and I both serve in international ministry, working to see the gospel spread to all unreached people groups of the world, into the darkest places, where the gospel is often not welcomed and even met with hostility by the governments.
My daughter’s best friend is Palestinian.
All of these people who are dear to me have been impacted (for better or worse), by the political landscape of our world.
On top of all the normal reasons one might care about government and politics (the economy, foreign relations, human rights, gun control, national safety, the environment, etc.), I have every reason to be invested in our nation’s political future.
The reality is that I deeply care about our the global political landscape, but have felt so paralyzed that I have failed to engage in the past several years. I was raised to be a good citizen, vote at every (at least major) election, and do my part. But somewhere along the way, I have lost understanding on what it means to be a good citizen while also maintaining my Christian convictions.
Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies by NT Wright and Michael Bird came at just the right moment in time.[1] Wright and Bird go back to the basics of the kingdom of God, and remind readers that God alone can redeem the world and that we are called to build for the kingdom in the way that brings heaven down to earth. This wasn’t a new concept to me, as I had previously heard such theology from Tim Mackie in Lecture on the Early Church & Politics. [2] Mackie, Wright, and Bird all teach that the goal of the Christian is not to be saved from this world, but to have salvation in this world. One very clear mark of the kingdom of God being on earth as it is in heaven is a space in which people love God and love their neighbor as themselves. [3] In this way, we are able to go back to the garden, as image bearers of God, and see God put things back into right order.
This has been something I can conceptualize and have every day application. What does this mean for me and my relationship to politics?
Wright and Bird believe that the liberal democracy and confident pluralism give the world the best chance to see the kingdom of God on earth. Confident pluralism is described this way by Wright and Bird, “Confident pluralism has a very simple premise, namely, that people have the right to be different, to think differently, to live differently, to worship differently, without fear of reprisal. Confident pluralism operates with the idea that politics has instrumental rather than ultimate value. In other words, politics is a means, not an end.”[4]
I am, however, still struggling to understand what this means for me in my relationship with politics and how I am to honor the powers that God has put in front of me, and also resist them when appropriate. One would think that by voting, you could resist the powers that need to be resisted. But I feel a bit stuck in the binary US political system, and being able to weigh one hot topic against another and discern which one should have more weight in my vote.
I would love to hear feedback on this and how you all have navigated the political system.
[1] Wright, N. T., and Michael F. Bird. Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies. London: SPCK Publishing, 2024.
[2] Tim Mackie Archives. Lecture on the Early Church & Politics: Tim Mackie (The Bible Project), n.d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXcSJVW8rg4.
[3] Matthew 22:36-40.
[4] Wright, N. T., and Michael F. Bird, 171.
About the Author
Christy
12 responses to “Resisting the Powers”
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Christy,
I would love to have a conversation with you regarding your multicultural background some day.
I too am discouraged by our political landscape. There is part of me that wants to say neither candidate/party has earned my vote. But do we as a society really value the power we possess in our ability to vote to actually view our votes as something almost sacred and only giving it when a candidate has truly demonstrated their worthiness of receiving my vote? No, I think most of us just freely give our vote away because there is a R or D after the person’s name.
Going back to your comments on the kingdom of God here on earth. Do you think the church is too focused on “getting to heaven” that we lose sight of the fact that we are to be co-laborers with God in establishing his kingdom here on earth? When we vote, do we vote for those who have policies that resemble the Kingdom of God?
Hi Jeff, I would welcome that conversation!
I think it’s important to vote for candidates that have policies that resemble the kingdom of God. As I was reading this week, I realized that the economy has been high on my political priority list – but in God’s kingdom, we are told not to worry about such things.
Let’s chat more in DC!
Christy, I so appreciate your global view of humanity (note, I said “humanity” not “politics”). Thank you for sharing how thoroughly embedded you are in the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic vision God gave first to Abraham, and then over and over again in the Bible.
You asked us a question; I’ll answer it.
In baseball, very often they’ll talk about a “5-tool player.” That means they are competent at 5 of the most important aspects of the game.
I’ll use this analogy to engage thoughtfully and in a Christ-centered way with politics to illustrate a well-rounded approach to political involvement. Here’s how each tool can be related to political engagement:
1. Hitting for Average (Understanding the Issues):
– Just as a player focuses on consistent hitting, individuals should strive to understand the core issues at hand. This involves researching policies, listening to diverse perspectives, and seeking to grasp the complexities of political discussions. A Christ-centered approach emphasizes truth and wisdom, encouraging us to engage with integrity.
2. Hitting for Power (Advocacy and Influence):
– Hitting for power represents the ability to advocate effectively for principles and values. In politics, this means not only standing firm in one’s beliefs but also finding ways to influence others positively. A Christ-centered approach encourages love and respect in advocacy, aiming to uplift rather than divide.
3. Speed (Responsiveness and Adaptability):
– Speed in baseball reflects agility and the ability to respond quickly. In the political arena, this can translate to being responsive to current events and adapting to new information. A thoughtful, Christ-centered engagement means being quick to listen and slow to speak, ensuring that responses are grounded in compassion and wisdom.
4. Throwing (Communicating Effectively):
– Just as a player needs strong throwing skills to communicate effectively on the field, engaging in politics requires clear and respectful communication. This involves articulating thoughts and beliefs in a way that fosters dialogue rather than conflict. A Christ-centered approach emphasizes kindness and clarity in conversations.
5. Fielding (Community and Service):
– Fielding represents the ability to work well with others and support the team. In politics, this means being involved in the community, serving others, and promoting justice and mercy. A Christ-centered approach encourages active participation in societal issues, reflecting Christ’s love through service and advocacy for the marginalized.
By embodying these five tools in political engagement, it helps us foster a more thoughtful, respectful, and Christ-centered approach to navigating the complexities of politics.
But I’ll go one step further. When a company wants to hire someone really good, we hear over and over again to hire for character. I think we have to do the same thing when it comes to politics. I may not agree 100% with a candidate on all the issues, but I look first and foremost at their character. Honestly, that’s my #1 criterion.
We also have to recognize that anyone who wants to lead as President or even as a Rep or Senator is going to have some elements of authority that may make us uncomfortable. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to withstand all the criticism and lead with their heart anyway.
I think of our daughter who is an NP on the bone marrow transplant floor at Boston Children’s Hospital. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to work with cancer kids.
We don’t have to imagine ourselves in the job. We just have to imagine the best person in the job. For me, in this presidential election, there’s simply no contest, especially when it comes to character.
Hi Debbie, thanks for your thoughtful response! I have thought a lot about the issues of character – and agree that this is critical.
My observation is that character alone doesn’t make a good leader. There are plenty of people with great character that I would never want running my organization or my country. How do you balance these two (sometimes competing) elements?
Christy, I wish I had some answers for you. I, too, am wrestling with some of the same things. For the first time, I considered not voting in this presidential election. For now, I did apply for an absentee ballot. No questions, just wanted to thank you for your openness.
Hi Christy, Thank you for your transparency. You said a lot of the things I have been struggling with. Jesus and the Powers helped in this particular wrestle by calling out that government (human authority) though instituted by God, is yet imperfect. If human authority were properly executed by doing as being as Jesus did and was – humble, meek, serving, etc. For this reason, I am letting go of hot topics and looking at who seems the most like Jesus. Maybe that is too subjective? It’s just where I have landed.
Hi Julie, your response was similar in nature to Debbie and Diane’s.
So I’ll ask the same question to you: My observation is that character alone doesn’t make a good leader. There are plenty of people with great character that I would never want running my organization or my country. How do you balance these two (sometimes competing) elements?
I would honestly love help in thinking through this as it feels like a bit of a block for me. I was talking about this with one of my colleagues recently, and he pointed out that most of the “great” leaders throughout history had some massive character flaws (maybe even were terrible people), but somehow, they did “great” things for their nation. Even great Biblical leaders like David and Solomon were incredibly sinful and lacking in character at times.
I value your thoughts on this!
Hi Christy, I agree that there are people with excellent character who would not make good institutional leaders…for so many reasons, just one example is capacity, there might be too many things to juggle. Every human leader is flawed – dig into anyone’s history and we are going to find disappointing, even ugly facts. History provides us many examples of people who were ‘great leaders’ but they led people into very dark places. When the leaders in view are national leaders there seems a tendency to generalize about what is good for the country…yet there are so many constituencies to consider and what is good for some is not always good for all. In the past few years I have become more sensitive to how things that are good for “me” (economically for example) may be harmful to others. I doubt any human leader can satisfy all the check boxes, but I am unwilling to let go of character as being near the top of my list because I believe it infects the circle around the leader and so on and so on…down to us common folks. Side Topic: Our reading mentioned the press taking the place of the church in holding leaders accountable. How much better it would be if that accountability were happening within faith communities and in restorative ways, rather than splashed all of the headlines and causing us to become filled with double. Just a thought that popped in. You have made me THINK this week!
Hi Christy, As I read the people you dearly love and their differences in origin and vocation, my sense was you were describing a piece of heaven on earth that would honor God’s vision in creation.
On your question about navigating the political system, that is a tough one. I too do not agree with either candidate on everything. I have learned over the years to look at the character of a person. None of us will be perfect but which candidate’s character seems to be closer to someone I could vote for. People seem to want leaders to be perfect, not just political ones. I sometimes need to remind my staff that I am not perfect and will make mistakes. I ask them to give me grace so we can work through things together. The problem with politics is that the political leaders will also make mistakes but we don’t have the luxury of a personal relationship with them to really get to know their character.
Hi Diane, your response was similar in nature to Debbie and Julie’s.
So I’ll ask the same question to you: My observation is that character alone doesn’t make a good leader. There are plenty of people with great character that I would never want running my organization or my country. How do you balance these two (sometimes competing) elements?
I would honestly love help in thinking through this as it feels like a bit of a block for me. I was talking about this with one of my colleagues recently, and he pointed out that most of the “great” leaders throughout history had some massive character flaws (maybe even were terrible people), but somehow, they did “great” things for their nation. Even great Biblical leaders like David and Solomon were incredibly sinful and lacking in character at times.
I value your thoughts on this – and thanks to everyone for making a safe space to really process these things. I’ve needed this for a long time and it’s a blessing to get to wrestle with you all through these hard topics.
Hi Christy, I agree with both you and Julie that some people might have good character but not have capacity to lead. However, I would Hope that someone running for high office or seeking to be a CEO would have the skills to do the job before they were hired or nominated by their party, county, or state. Again, a conundrum, perhaps in our political system. But again I would still lean toward character. I would rather have someone honest than so smart and dishonest because more damage can be done by someone smart enough to fool others into thinking things are fine when in reality they aren’t.
One of theh things you mentioned in your reply was the sinfulness of David and Solomon. David was sinful, yet, when it was brought to his attention he repented. I don’t know that I am much different. I may not have had someone killed but I sin, repent, sin, repent, and on and on. I am just thankful, Jesus keeps coming after me. I don’t think character is about being perfect. God help us, truly, if we were judged only by our worst days.
My answer might be a bit scattered but then again, the answer isn’t simple is it? But the question is one we have to ask ourselves each time we are called to make a selection with our vote. Thanks for asking. Peace.
Christy,
You highlight just how interconnected this world really is.
I like your question at the end about how we navigate this seemingly binary political system. I realize that we are stuck in the political system we are in and we don’t have much say in it but I refuse to believe that I must hold to the political binaries of our day. I often vote third party candidates just as a vote against the two parties.
As you mention pluralistic liberalism do you think it is a sustainable and attainable goal as the authors argue for?