Yes We Can

 

Nearly ten months ago our nation, with great spectacle and pageantry, elected Barack Obama President of the United States.

With the allure of personal magnetism and an enigmatic message promising hope and change, Obama fulfilled the dreams of countless Americans as he stepped into history as the first African American to reside in the Oval Office.

I was one who did not cast my vote for the current Commander in Chief. Based on a set of principles and convictions that were purely non-negotiable I exercised my constitutional right by selecting another candidate.

Since November my heart has been heavy. But not for the reasons you may think.

The airwaves of cable television and talk radio have been intensely raging with vicious diatribes over everything from Obama’s birth certificate to serious discussions over policy issues such as health care reform.  What has concerned me more than these have been the response of fellow believers in Christ to President Obama and his supporters.

What I am about to say may draw ire, criticism, and even border on heretical with many who I have agreed with politically.

Our primary citizenship is in God’s Kingdom, not the United States.

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” 1 Peter 1:17 

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 1 Peter 2:11

Living in a democratic society we have the right and privilege to question our elected leaders. It is our duty to engage in vigorous and respectful debate over the policy issues that will define this nation for years to come. There is an old adage, however, that states ‘it isn’t what you say, but how you say it.’

There were over 65 million Americans that voted for Barack Obama. Of that number, how many of them would be considered outside of faith in Jesus Christ? For many of these individuals their perception of Christianity has been poisoned by those who faithfully worship on Sunday and proceed to post malicious statements about the President on their Facebook profiles.

I am by no means defending President Obama’s stance in issues with which I still prayerfully disagree.  Yet we have become more passionate about defending our narrow opinions on representative government than representing Jesus Christ to those outside of our own socio-political backgrounds.

In their groundbreaking book UnChristian, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons devote an entire chapter to the perception that many outsiders have toward present day Christianity. “Though Christians have won votes and shaped legislation, this does not ultimately define the success of a Christ follower. We are representatives of Jesus to every person in our culture, regardless of whether we agree politically. Our lives should reflect Jesus, which includes not just how we vote, but every element of our political engagement—our conversations about politics as well as our attitudes about ideological opponents. This may seem obvious, but based on our research on this subject, we must realize that our political activism, if expressed in an unchristian manner, prevents a new generation from seeing Christ.” 

In the grand scope of world events, whether or not health care is radically transformed or the Supreme Court is altered more liberally is not nearly as important as where our friends, neighbors, and even those we disagree with politically will spend eternity.

Jesus Christ is not Republican. Or Democrat. Or Libertarian. 

He is King.

Is it possible to transform our nation by changing our attitude toward the person of elected officials we vehemently disagree with on the issues?

Yes, we can.

For a free download of the chapter Too Political from the book Unchristian, click here or visit the website at unchristian.com.