Musings

I have had more than one conversation in which I was asked which party I support, whose policies I am aligned with.  In our current political climate these are indeed loaded questions.  I respond that rather than identifying with one political party over another, my identity is centered in Jesus Christ.  I seek to shape my political perspectives by my relationship with Jesus. 

For example, as one who holds to a consistent life ethic I am at odds with both political parties.  In believing that all life is sacred and is rooted in God who has created us, I believe life begins at conception.  Likewise, in valuing the sacredness of life, I choose to be non-violent in addressing conflict, I do not support the exercise of capital punishment, nor the treatment of anyone in inhumane ways.  A consistent life ethic challenges me to regard all persons humanely, because all persons are created in God’s image – people are not political categories.  For me Christ represents a third way, embracing a way of life that is not always easy to navigate in our polarized society. 

In my last post I asked the question whether as Americans we seek to align Jesus to our values, or whether we seek to align ourselves and our values to Jesus and his values. 

In the first instance, even though Jesus expresses in Luke 24:27 that he is among us as one who serves, this does not mean he is subservient to values that are dehumanizing.  Jesus being among us as one who serves does not give us permission to accommodate him to our values, to shape Jesus in our own image.   In the second instance, as we give our allegiance to Jesus, above all other allegiances, we seek to be shaped by Jesus, by the character of Jesus, by his values, and to imitate his servanthood, in seeking to live loving one another as his disciples.    

As Bob Dylan sang years ago (1979 to be exact) – “You gotta serve somebody” whom we serve depends upon to whom we give our allegiance.

Jesus expressed in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and Mammon (money, power, prestige).  Our allegiance is to one or the other – there is no room for a dual allegiance.  If our first allegiance is to the baser things of the world – greed, preoccupation with ourselves, power that oppresses, then we are ineffectual disciples, as well as human beings.  Yet, if our allegiance is to Christ and his reign, then we are seeking to live according to his values of love, life, peace, compassion, and forgiveness – foundations for living humanely, as well as being good citizens.  Allegiance to dehumanizing values dehumanizes us.  Allegiance to Christ, giving attention to loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, enables us to love our neighbors (as well as our enemies) with the love that God has poured into our hearts and lives. 

The temptation Jesus experienced in Matthew 4 was a temptation of allegiance.  Satan offered him wealth, prestige and power if he would give allegiance to him, a submission that would have subverted the mission for which he was sent by God and empowered by Spirit.  Likewise, for us, when our lives strive for wealth, prestige and power, we take our eyes off of Jesus, the One who transforms our lives.  In so doing, rather than being human in the way Jesus lived out his life and ministry, we become ones who are preoccupied with ourselves and our own interests, rather than taking on the interests of one another (see Philippians 2:3ff). It is as we give allegiance to Christ that we are enabled to experience the life of Christ Jesus in us and being empowered to serve as he served, an in that, we are empowered to participate in God’s mission of making all things new (see Isaiah 43:19 and Revelation 21:5) and so share in fostering a more loving and caring society.