A Christian Response in a Polarized World
By Rufus
As I talk with my friends, we often find ourselves commenting on how the times have waxed worse and worse, as we discuss the various issues in the news and how polarized the world is now. Political verbiage has become so volatile. We see many extremes happening today that we seemingly have never experienced. It’s really difficult to not engage in commentary over the state of the world, deteriorating moral values, and the economic issues that affect us in our own backyard. And that conversation can sometimes become inflamed when there are differences of opinion.
Does that not present a major challenge to our Christianity? What framework of theology do we turn to? How do we approach the polarization, not only in our society, but sometimes among ourselves?
As Christians we do care and have social justice values ourselves and we should be willing to stand for the right, but then we are also instructed to love our brothers (John 13:34–35), turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38–39), forgive (Ephesians 4:32), and to not revile back (1 Peter 2:23) when there are differences. It seems ideologically daunting as to exactly what a Christian’s role should be regarding the various cultural and economic issues that confront us today.
When praying over this, I am reminded of Jesus in His day. Was the situation so very different from now? Weren’t most of His disciples very embedded in the current cultural and nationalistic feeling of wanting liberation from the control of Roman rule? Were they not continually asking Jesus when His kingdom would come, basically thinking of a worldly kingdom that would free them from the current political rule? Among their own people there was hatred and opposition, with extremists like Barabbas and the Zealots on the one hand and the tax collectors and collaborators making money from the Roman occupation on the other. Were not the early Christians facing something of the dilemma we face, deciding what to do about the injustice while holding true to Christian values?
Well, we as disciples ought to know, and surely the on-fire early Christians knew, thanks to Jesus’ teaching, to not let our convictions drive us to violence. “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting” (John 18:36), and “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). But the question remains of how we avoid getting sucked into the verbal vortex of secular strife over current issues that affect our lives. I’ve observed in my own experience that when I hold to strong political views of one way or the other, it tends to make me judgmental, categorizing, and impatient toward folks of opposite views.
I’ve also become aware in my own life of even deeper issues of motivation. I find that when I am trying to reach someone—for example, in business in the process of trying to make a sale—I can brush aside a person’s political or economic views, even when they are diametrically opposed to my own, all because my motive is winning their confidence to make a sale. The same principle is true in witnessing. When trying to win a soul, who cares about their political leanings? Whereas, when sitting in a social setting with only the motive of expressing my personal ideological views, I find differences can become inflamed, with less regard to respect or concern for others.
I guess the answer then is elementary. Care and love for the other person and witnessing and sharing the Good News with them, whether unbeliever, close friend, or even enemy should be paramount in any interaction. The Great Commission should be at the forefront of everything we do.
Just before His ascension, the disciples ask Him again, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). He put that question on ice but gave them something more important, as His answer was, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7–8).
That obviously seemed to be the answer to the political question of their day and still seems to be the answer for us as well. To get busy witnessing in everything we do! “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). Continuing as disciples of Jesus Christ to complete the Great Commission completely changes the landscape and overrides any ideological concerns or differences. We’re back to our basics! After all, let’s keep in mind that in the end, righteousness can never be legislated or forced, and only changed hearts result in changed lives.
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