God & Politics: Pastoral Q & A
Q: Do you think that there is a danger in politics wagging the tail of faith, or politics wagging the tail of Jesus, or politics wagging the tail of the church?
A: Yes. Succinctly put, the danger is this: If you don’t recognize the idolatry and messianic character of contemporary American politics, you might be prone to be placed in the spin cycle of the idolatry of American partisanship. See my blog post: The Messianic Character of Contemporary American Politics: The Rise as Politics as Religion (Rev. Dr. Jason Carter, Sept. 25, 2020, Gospel-Centered Shepherding Blog).
Q: How does a pastor decide when and how to engage with cultural issues?
A: I’ve written about precisely this question in an article for Reformation 21: When To Speak Out? A Pastor’s Engagement with Current Issues (Aug 26, 2019, Reformation 21). A pastor is not primarily called to be a political pundit. With wise discernment, a pastor can offer a prophetic voice and critique of our times. Yet, at the end of the day, a pastor is not primarily called to be a cultural critic with respect to every issue under the sun nor are most pastors equipped vocationally to do so. There is a wise and judicious amount of humility involved in the statement: I am primarily a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Q: Are there examples of you speaking out on cultural issues?
A: I have preached on “This Cultural Moment” in the context of a six-week sermon series on sexuality and gender wherein the sermon also touched on racism, abortion, and hospitality to the poor and marginalized (see: revdrjasoncarter.com/sermons).
Check out the 5-week Sunday school study entitled “God’s Design, Our Bodies, and this Cultural Moment” which interacted with Carl Truman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. I’ve blogged about racism several times after national controversies including “On Race and the Gospel: Pastoral Reflections” after Charlottesville in 2017 and shared “10 Resources on Racism and Racial Reconciliation” in 2020.
Q: Has there been a fracturing of the Reformed evangelical world with regards to sexuality, gender, race, and politics?
A: No doubt. My friend Kevin DeYoung offers this very helpful taxonomy: “Why Reformed Evangelicalism Has Splintered: Four Approaches to Race, Politics, and Gender” (March 9, 2021, The Gospel Coalition).
Q: What has been Trinity’s stance on politics over the years?
A: Our church has been guided by a policy developed over two decades ago. Years ago, after receiving multiple requests to distribute material that critique political candidates, the Session dedicated time to Bible study, prayer, and dialogue. The Session concluded that participating in such political advocacy could distract from the preaching of the Gospel and create needless conflict for the body of Christ since sincere Christ-followers often reach differing conclusions on political issues.
Q: Does that mean that our church is apathetic during election season?
A: Not at all. Instead, we encourage our Covenant Partners to be well-informed, prayerful, and exercise their civic duty and privilege of voting based on a prayerful and biblically informed worldview. Yet, the leadership of our church does not presume to instruct Christians as to their political ideology, and neither will we allow outsiders to use the congregation to advance their ambitions.
The Bible provides sufficient principles as to how Christians should behave in the political realm. 1 Timothy 2:2 instructs us to pray for our civic leaders, regardless of our feelings towards them. 1 Peter 2:17 reminds us to “show proper respect to everyone”. Paul writes to Titus: “remind the people…to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all people” (Titus 3:2). This is wise counsel from the Bible.
It’s not that Christians should never talk about controversial issues or the upcoming elections. We realize that is an impossibility. Yet, Romans 12:10 counsels us to “outdo one another in showing honor”. Therefore, whenever we discuss politics, Trinity’s leadership encourages you to do so with an attitude of deep humility and mutual respect, remembering that we are primarily united in the Lord Jesus Christ.
My hope is that our congregation is full of Christians seeking to be peacemakers with a view towards preserving “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). One of the best gifts we can give our nation is to model how strong Christian communities of diverse people can be united in the saving faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.