Recently I've been reading this book by Jim Wallis and I have been finding myself very intrigued. Jim Wallis' political aspirations seem to have a lot in common with Tony Campolo's Politics. As a conservative Christian mostly endorsing the Republican candidates and ideologies, I didn't think that this book would appeal to me. But a lot of what Jim Wallis has to say is inspiring; especially this thought: "Many of us believe that by replacing one wet-fingered politicians with another, we can change our society. But it never really works and when it doesn't we get disillusioned. We then get tempted to just grumble, withdraw, or give up altogether on ever changing anything. But that's where we make our mistake.The great practitioners of real social change, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, understood something very important. They knew that you don't change a society by merely replacing one wet-fingered politician with another. You change a society by changing the wind."
Then Wallis writes on about how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after securing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 decided to visit Washington D.C. to speak with Lyndon Johnson about the possibilities of voting rights act for black Americans in the South. When Lyndon Johnson told him that that was politically unrealistic especially right after the Civil Rights Act, Dr. King did not complain, withdraw or give up. Instead, he organized the famous march in Selma, Alabama now known as the Bloody Sunday. Dr. King was able to pass the voting rights act only 5 months after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
We as Christians are called to be this kind of "wind-changer." But living in the US, we have a hard time envisioning what that looks like; we have a hard time mixing our religion with politics. Whenever a pastor such as myself speak on political issues, people cry "foul" referring to how most Christians feel about pulpit politics; that politics and pulpit don't mix. We really have to think about this. Who we are as Christians should not shy us away from speaking on what we believe. We should be encouraged to speak on what we consider moral and ethical based on our biblical views on life, liberty and justice for all. We are called to be the light of the world; to be a city on a hill; speaking the truth and standing up for what we believe in, never forgetting that we are to do it by our love & because of our love; not by our hidden agendas or hate.
Couple of weeks ago, I preached from the pulpit on Prop 8. The problem we have with those who oppose Prop 8 is that we don't love them. Many of us are either indifferent or consenting; some of us have even voted "no" on this proposition. That's not love. Love is when we care about them enough to speak on what we really believe: that homosexuality in practice is immoral and sinful. If we truly love them and care about their lifestyle, we would have to tell them the truth in the most loving way possible so that they can begin to think whether their lifestyle is right or wrong. I also realize that there are many Christians who are speaking against the gay lifestyle, posting signs up urging to vote "yes" on Prop 8. They are adamant about this issue, but the problem is that they don't really do it out of love; they do it out of either hate or to advance their political agenda. I believe this is almost worse than indifference or consent. That's why the Bible says, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." We are called not to be nothing; we are called to be more than conquerors, ambassadors for Christ. So, let us live for His glory; Live for Him that we may represent Christ; to change the wind by our LOVE.
