Politics and Faith

Politics and faith can often be a toxic combination when misapplied. With the upcoming election and the rise of the influence of conservative Christians, the need for a conversation about these issues is really important.

When you look at the Bible there seems to be a clear distinction between secular rule and Kingdom rule. The government is given the power of the sword and all believers are called to pray for our earthly authorities (Romans 13:4; 1 Timothy 2:2). The reason for our need to take interest in secular government is that it provides a safe backdrop for the drama of redemption (“that we might live a peaceful and quiet life” 1 Tim 2:2). But our true and ultimate allegiance remains to our God and King. Secular rule and heavenly rule are not deemed enemies. Secular rule provides the earthly security and peace for God’s spiritual rule to take root in the lives of His people. On the other hand earthly and heavenly rule are clearly distinct. The New Testament presupposes in many ways that our earthly rulers are not Christian. This was certainly the context of the writings in the New Testament. Furthermore when we conflate politics and faith we run the danger of thinking we can legislate our way into a heavenly kingdom.

When we vote as Christians we should keep in mind we are not necessarily looking for the candidate that most reflects our religious convictions. We should be looking for the most competent leader that can most successfully provide a backdrop in which both Christians and non-Christians can live peacefully. I would rather have a competent atheist than a incompetent Christian in this regard.

Many people say that we are on the brink or in midst of a “culture war.” I would say we are definitely in midst of one. Christians lose credibility when they vote simply based on religious conviction. Non-Christians become angry and alarmed when they have incompetent Christian leaders who are subtly seeking to legislate their beliefs. This has led to a culture war which pits the religious vs. the irreligious; the Bible belt vs. the coastal states; the “high culture” vs. the uncultured.

There are of course blurry line issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. But it seems short-sighted to vote for leaders simply based on any of these single issues.

This is probably one of the most important elections we’ll experience in our lifetimes. I hope we’ll think, pray and converse about these matters in a serious and engaging way.

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Top Ten CCM Albums

I’ve been realizing that I don’t listen to as much Christian music these days. A lot of CCM these days doesn’t interest me as much. There’s just a lack of genuine authenticity. So I was thinking back on my favorite CCM albums of all time. Most of them are important for me lyrically. Others have carried me during difficult periods. Here are the ones that have most affected me:

10. Chris Rice: Run the Earth, Watch the Sky

9. Switchfoot “Beautiful Letdown”

They break a lot of new ground for CCM musically but much more so thematically. Switchfoot isn’t afraid to wrestle with the darker themes of brokenness and despair. I think this is still their finest work musically and lyrically.

8. Sara Groves, “The Other Side of Something”/ “Live from Messiah College”

7. Bebo Norman, “10,000 Days”

6. SCC “Speechless”

I think this was Chapman at his finest. He was a CCM pioneer who exemplified simplicity and sincerity in his lyrics. This album abounds with the wonder of gospel and the sweetness of grace.

5. Smoki Norful, “I Need You Now”

I gots to include a little gospel on this list. Smoki Norful never fails to move me. Psalm 64 is a beautifully moving lament that is introduced by his minister father. And of course there is his title track that is a classic.

4. Caedmon’s Call “40 Acres”

Caedmon’s without Webb is not as nearly great. This for me was the pinaccle of what was a great band. Thelogically and thematically Caedmon’s Call goes down as an all time great.

3. Derek Webb “I See Things Upside-Down”

Webb is the one Christian artist that I feel like I”ll continue to listen to for the years to come. His strength is his songwriting ability. He is at times mocking, ironic and pessimistic and at other times hopeful and grace-filled. His music challenges. And that’s one thing that you can’t say about most Christian artists performing today. This album exemplifies these qualities.

2. Rich Mullins “A Liturgy, A Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band”

Why can you say about Rich Mullins? We’ll probably never see another songwriter as great in our lifetime.

1. Chris Rice “Past the Edges”/ “Peace Like a River”

I think what I love about Chris Rice is that he’s the most heavenly-minded artist I know. His music is filled with longing for our eternal home. That’s what true music really brings us to: that moment of transcendence and beauty; the hint of our true destiny that awaits us.

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Hot, Flat and Crowded

I’ve just been reading a book by Thomas Friedman called, “Hot, Flat and Crowded.” He begins the book by talking about a new era that we are embarking on as a planet. We live in a world in which the scale of population growth, technological expasion and global warming has exploded. Friedman’s book is a call to arms to progressively deal with these new realities.

When you look at these dynamics from a spiritual perspective the stakes are even higher. Take for instance the idea of population growth. Today there are 6.7 billion people sharing the planet. By mid-century the poulation will swell to 9 billion. That is a 40 to 45 percent increase. There will be more people living in the middle of this century than the sum of human population for all history. Put it like this: In our lifetime the population of heaven and hell will double. The stakes for our actions have never been higher.

Most of the population growth will take place in urban areas. According to the UN this year marks the first time in human history that more people have been living in urban areas than in rural areas. By 2030 the numbers in urban areas will swell to 3.3 billion people. The future of missions is clearly urban missions both here in the United States and especially abroad.

Sometimes I wonder why God has put me on this planet as a minister at this particular pivotal time in this particular place. I feel so unworthy and incapable of such a calling. But I realize that God most works through the “foolish” and broken. And I realize that this makes me highly qualified for the call.

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Speak What We Feel…

I’m preaching on a series of sermons on the Proverbs. The Proverbs contain some of the most simple yet humbling truths to preach upon. I came across this memorable line that comes at the end of King Lear:

The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest hath borne most: we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.

So many times in my life I catch myself just saying what I “ought to say” instead of what I really feel. Hard truths are left unsaid. A deep sense of gratitude is abbreviated by a simple, “thank you.” The Bible summarizes these truths by saying we should, “speak the truth in love.”

I have to catch myself from the tragedy of the predictable. I want to live out of my heart and not out of expectations and obligations. The preacher’s job is not to spout predictable cliches but to speak sincere truth from the depths of his being. Imagine living in a world in which people only spoke sincerely and graciously.

MLK once said
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

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