Politics and Idolatry

“In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign,does not declare,'That is mine!'” - Abraham Kuyper

For reasons I can't really explain, I've always been an activist at heart.

I organized my first petition drive at 11, when NBC was rumored to be considering moving "Little House on the Prairie" from Monday nights to Wednesday nights. My reasoning was partly logical, partly selfish: I had to attend church on Wednesday nights, and I wanted to still watch my favorite show. I reasoned that lots of other churchgoers felt the same way, so I marched to our small country church armed with petition in hand. I'm sure the churchgoers who signed my petition had quite the giggle at this passionate 11-year-old taking on NBC. When the move didn't happen, I felt like somehow I was the reason, and an activist was born.

What I didn't know at 11 - and what I'm still learning at 41 - was that there is a fine line between activism and idolatry. My Scripture reading this week fell in Hosea, in advance of a significant primary election next week for which I've done loads of research because I've been blessed with the time to do so. It's prompted me to reflect hard on the role of the Christian in politics and when to know if my activism has crossed a line.

Let me stress here that I believe very strongly that Peter's admonition to "honor the king" is applied within a democracy in part by being engaged in the political process. Yes, it means to respect our leaders, but in a form of government "of the people, by the people, and for the people", it means more than that. We don't truly "honor the king" in America if we sit on the sidelines. Years ago in a high school honors civics class we had to defend the proposition either that voting was a right, or that it was a responsibility. My lot fell to the side of responsibility. The truth is that voting is both a right and a responsibility for all Americans -- but as Christians we are dually charged to fulfill that responsibility well.

However, neither our political process, my well-researched vote, nor my activist heart are ultimately in control of our country. It's when we forget that God is sovereign and begin to put all our hope in "the process", certain leaders, or ourselves that we cross the line into idolatry.

Hosea prophesied to Israel during a time when such idolatry was rampant. Chapter 7 particularly stresses the fallibility of man's efforts in the face of a jealous God who refuses to tolerate any semblance of idolatry. Hosea's message highlights the relationship of Israel's crime rate and political games to their idolatry: They failed to recognize thievery and street gangs as not merely signs of fallen humanity, but indicators of a people who had forgotten God. Similarly, the evil schemes and plotting in the palace only underscored the rejection of their true King. The end result: "All of their kings fall - and none of them call on me." (v. 7)

We have to come face to face with evil in order to be healed. We have to seek God for provision, protection, leadership. Anything else is idolatry. And this self-examination has to start with the church, as Peter noted. So how can we know if we cross the line from responsible engagement and appropriate activism into idolatry? I've asked myself that question a lot lately, and for me, here are some things I'm guarding my heart against:

• Partisanship. If I immediately refuse to consider a candidate because of his or her party affiliation, I need to ask myself why. Am I concerned about the direction of the party as a whole? Or am I simply allowing party politics to play a bigger role in my decision-making than prayer? If it's the latter, then it's possible that I've allowed the party to become an idol. Similarly, if I refuse to support proposals just because they come from "the other side", I'm also at risk of elevating a party to a position of supremacy rather than reserving it for God alone. 
• Judgmentalism. If I see the wrong done by "them" (other parties, other people's choices for candidates, other people because of their choices, etc.) and fail to evaluate those I support by the same standard, then I'm violating one of the key principles of appropriate discernment given in Matthew: maintaining the same standard of judgment for others that I use for myself. In so doing, I run the risk of having as an idol those that I support, rather than seeing them as servants to God as the ultimate ruler.
• Expecting Perfection. We live in a fallen world. No leader is going to be 100% right on every issue all the time. Even if I find someone in complete agreement with me, I may later find out that I was wrong! If I expect perfection and "drop" someone at the first disagreement, then I'm really elevating that person rather than depending on God to turn his or her heart in the right direction. And I also run the risk of forgetting that there may be reasons God allows what seems like a bad path to continue - reasons like the rejection of what is morally good, which for Israel resulted in pursuit by the enemy in Hosea 8:1-2 or the rejection of God's messenger which led to further corruption in Hosea 9.  
• Polarization. It's easy to see the polarization in U.S. politics today. Every issue (it seems) is approached in an either/or, with/against fashion, rather than recognized for the complexity it deserves and approached on the common ground of truth and love. It's also tempting to allow myself to be polarized against someone whom I felt strongly was a poor choice for a candidate, or to dig in my heels and defend my stand on an issue as if it were the ultimate answer. Giving in to such polarization makes my own opinions an idol, because I fail to see that ultimately God is in control. Only by His authority do leaders rise or fall. And when it comes to "issues", Scripture is very clear about those worth digging in our heels; on all others we can have different opinions and responses within appropriate biblical limits. Polarization also often violates the command to speak the truth in love when we're busy castigating rather than loving.
• Prayerlessness. This is probably the biggest hint that idolatry might be on the horizon. Scripture portrays God's people as being incredibly prayerful about their leaders and lands. Isaiah and Nehemiah confessed national sins. Jeremiah confessed the sins of his ancestors. Daniel not only confessed national sins, but fasted and poured out his heart to God for 3 weeks when he understood something from God's Word related to his far-away homeland. Paul commands us to pray for our leaders and thank God for them. If I'm politically engaged and involved in activism but not praying, then I'm in danger of the process and my own activism becoming idolatrous substitutes for God Himself. Paul's prayer is instructive: We don't just pray for the leader to do what we think he or she should do; the ultimate goal of the prayer is missional. The goal is for us to live quiet, peaceful, godly lives that result in the spread of the Gospel. Sometimes what seems like a good political decision would really hurt the spread of the Gospel. Other times, an advance of the Gospel will require the success of leader we would never have wanted. We should pray this passage for all of our leaders - perhaps especially those we didn't personally select. 

This week's study has come at a good time for me. I'm thrilled to have had the time to do ample research and feel good about my vote Tuesday. I don't regret a single minute I spent on the computer, emailing, and calling. But as the results tick across the screen and we head into the general election in November and in the years ahead to the next presidential election in 2012, I want to remember that my role in this process is not ultimate. The outcome of this or any election is not my ultimate hope. True transformation comes only from the hand of God. As Kuyper noted, ultimate authority belongs to Christ alone. The nations - including ours - are His inheritance. He will be the supreme activist for His sovereign purposes.

2 Chronicles 7:14 "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land."