Christianity in Politics: Useless, Used or Useful?

The political arena dismisses Christianity as useless or seeks to use it for their own ends. What is our true contribution as Jesus-followers?

When it comes to politics today, Christianity is viewed either as useless or something to be used.

Michael Wear, The Spirit of Our Politics

I recently met Michael Wear and was pleased to discover he esteems and relies on the work of my mentor, Dallas Willard. From the first pages of Michael’s newly-released book, The Spirit of Our Politics, I resonated with his thinking. What seemed particularly true to me was his observation of the way the political arena dismisses Christianity as useless or seeks to use it for their own ends.

Let’s first think about how Christianity is viewed as useless. 

Useless

Many people think the words and ways of Jesus are simply old-fashioned, irrelevant to modern politics. What could a 2,000-year-old religion and its founder have to offer to the complexities of our election cycle?

A lot. In my recent book, What Jesus Intended, I wrote: 

It is crucial that we recognize that Jesus came to earth among intelligent, god-fearing people. Contemporary to Jesus, great empires were growing up all around. The generation in which Jesus emerged was trying to take seriously some of the best philosophy ever conceived.  

Jesus was no stranger to high-level thinkers, philosophers and political machinations in his day. His social landscape was noted for its intellectual despair, relational brokenness, economic uncertainty, political strife and spiritual hopelessness. Jesus did not shrink from this reality. He taught with the authority of the Creator-Lord of the world. He knew which human thinking and behavior facilitated human flourishing—and which was dehumanizing, disfiguring the Imago Dei. 

Would Jesus stand hapless and helpless in a room full of Ivy League-trained political strategists? I don’t think so. Jesus was smart enough to understand all the complex nuances of public policy. Moreover, I believe Jesus has important observations about the tone and tenor in which today’s political conversations happen. We need to take Jesus seriously, listen to his words and apply them with as much wisdom as we can muster to politics—or any difficult human setting.  

Used

Now we turn our attention to Wear’s second observation—the way politics views Christianity as something to be used.

Politicians are looking for votes—it’s a secondary issue where those votes come from. Using people and groups is just part of the game. I have watched politicians use the Church during at least 10 presidential election cycles. Someone is always trying to scare Christians and then tell us they will protect us from our fears. Politicians on both sides of the aisle leverage issues we care about and claim they are the only ones who can fix what’s wrong. Political parties manipulate the tenets of Christianity to fit their marketing campaigns and use Christians to defeat their opponents. 

But we do not have to allow ourselves to be used. When we keep our eyes on the big Divine picture, we realize we are dependent on God’s care, not on the fleeting promises of politicians. In God’s kingdom, we never need to fall prey to fear-mongering or mud-slinging to secure what is right. We never need to compromise our faith, values, attitudes, words and actions to gain political protection.

Why? Because…

The Lord is my shepherd, I do not need to live according to the tyranny of political pushing and pulling.

Dallas Willard’s paraphrase of Psalm 23 helps us be still, quiet, cared for, refreshed and led on the right path even during an election cycle. It helps us be fearless in dark valleys, comforted among enemies, and assured of God’s goodness and love. The life God intends for us is a life without lack. Such a life gives us the security and power to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls (Peter 2:11, NLT). This is a crucial point, because while sounding spiritual, politicians manipulate our worldly or fleshly desires, putting us at war with ourselves and each other.  

Useful

I wrote in What Jesus Intended,

We must hold true in our deepest being the conviction that Jesus is the greatest, truest, most capable, God-centered person in human history. We must think him so wise, so intelligent, and so full of insight that we would naturally and joyfully follow him.

As Christians, it is right and good to work in politics and engage with public policy. But we must do so with a specific point of reference to guide us: the words and works of Jesus. 

Theologian and political activist Jim Wallace recounts a recent conversation he had with Walter Brueggemann in which they discussed their mutual commitment to Jesus within the sphere of politics. Brueggemann said: “Don’t go right, don’t go left; but go deeper.” I agree. We are the best citizens, the most useful, when we are anchored deepest in Jesus.

When we make God’s calling and purpose the primary desire of our life, we find the path to freedom from political manipulations. Then, instead of being useless or used, we can be truly useful to the world.