In continuing with thoughts of balance in our spiritual lives, there is another area which also needs to be considered, and that is biblical balance. For Christians, the Bible is holy scripture, sacred text. The New Testament records the teachings of Jesus about the Way he proclaimed, along with the teachings of others about what he said. For those wishing to be disciples of Jesus, we start with the Bible to discover his character and nature, how he lived in the world and his desires for how his followers should treat others.
Aside from its holiness for believers, the Bible is filled with practical advice. It warns of excesses and selfish indulgences which bring trouble and unhappiness. It encourages generosity, compassion and love which bring joy and contentment not only to those who practice such things, but to society, as a whole.
What has also become true of the Bible, through no fault of its own and with no encouragement from Jesus, is it has become a weapon, a tool for dividing Christians, communities and even our country. I recently had a conversation on Facebook with an acquaintance of mine who is a native German, living in Germany. His blunt assessment of the political process in the U.S. was a stinging indictment, and quite to the point. He holds in particular contempt any politician who says God is exclusively on his or her side, supporting one individual's claims over another's. How, he wonders, can we support and encourage such behavior? American Christianity has lost much of its credibility, not just for my friend, but for many others.
When I hear politicians bandying about their views on God and their interpretations of scripture, I usually cringe. Believers should let the teachings of Jesus guide us in every area, including how we choose to vote. Politicians (along with the rest of us) would often do well to let moral behavior speak more loudly than words, especially 'God-talk.' Rather than telling us how God has endorsed him or her, I would much rather a candidate show us the evidence of God's love and grace in his or life and actions. The Bible should be extensively studied and used for personal growth. However, taking it into the public arena to wave it around for personal gain doesn't seem to fit the Way Jesus proclaimed.
Absolutely! Very well said. I'm glad you had the courage to write it. Christians tend to automatically endorse people, products, etc. that use "Jesus" in their marketing. We need to be discerning. With that said, we cannot expect a candidate to not express his faith for fear of being labeled a hypocrite or "Jesus" seller. Prayerful discernment is the answer.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Discernment is lacking in so many ways. I do appreciate candidates who express sincerity in their Christian views, actually. But there a few of them who talk about Jesus in one breath and express incredibly un-Christian views in the next, and I wonder if they've ever read the Sermon on the Mount or any of the teachings of Jesus.
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