What's Wrong With Politics

Some might think that it's wrong for a preacher to talk about politics in church, so let me explain. I believe the policy of separation of church and state is a good thing—primarily because we don't want the government regulating or interfering with our mission as a church.

But I also believe it's not good if the church separates its faith from today's issues. What we believe as Christians—our values and convictions, the way we see the world and its problems—are precisely the kind of things we should talk about. Wherever our society or government puts the squeeze on our faith, we should respond. Romans 12:2 (Phillips): "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within..."

How many of you have had enough of politics? Are you ready for the campaigns to end? Are you ready for some different kind of commercials on TV and the radio?

Political rhetoric and emotions have been heating up this fall. We've been buried under an avalanche of political slogans, charges, and counter-charges. There is no shortage of words these days—from politicians, reporters, commentators, and pundits—but with all this talk, is there a word from God for us?

Human wisdom, human perspective, and human effort—everything politics and governments are made of—cannot fully address the real issues of all that is wrong with our society or the world. Our primary problems are not jobs and the economy, not Wall Street or Congress, not national defense or security, not NAFDA or welfare or education or universal health care.

No, our worst problems stem from sin in our hearts...from broken and wounded spirits...from meaningless, futile human thinking.

Disclaimer: I'm not opposed to the political process per se. The United States stands alone in the history of the world. This country, despite its flaws and shortcomings, has been blessed beyond comprehension. Our Constitution gives us a unique and rare opportunity to participate in the process of selecting our leaders. We should not ignore our privilege to vote.

More than that, as Christians we should be engaged with society. We should be part of the solution—not the obnoxious, vocal critics. We should be the first to volunteer and help. We should contribute to society. We should be generous and giving.

And we should vote—but in doing so, we should be careful not to rely on the government or political system to cure our social ills. As believers we should not forget the real solution to our real troubles! Because politics cannot fix our spiritual problems. We need a Savior more than a new president.

With all this as a backdrop, let's look at a time in the Bible when the people wanted a change in their government. It's found in 1 Samuel 8:1-20.

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." 6 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." 10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

This story reveals several answers to the question, "What's wrong with politics?"

1. Politics brings temptation.

When he retired, Samuel appointed his sons to be judges. But (v 3) his sons did not walk in his ways:

• They turned aside after dishonest gain.
• They accepted bribes from people with money.
• They perverted justice—caring more for their own profit than for what was right.

There is temptation for anyone who is put in charge. This is true in religious institutions as well as secular. No one is exempt from this temptation, whether you're a foreman at work or a union organizer. Whether you're a boy scout leader or a member of congress, there will be temptation.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The more complete quote from John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton is: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Maybe this is why people spend so much money to get a job that doesn't really pay all that much. The Center for Responsive Politics calculates that by Election Day, $2.4 billion will have been spent on presidential campaigns since January, 2007, and another $2.9 billion will have been spent on 435 House and 35 Senate contests. That's $5.3 billion!

Obama has done better than McCain in raising campaign funds—$640 million so far. The president's salary currently is $400,000 a year, so Obama would have to work 1,600 years to pay back the $640 million. I'm not kidding! Do the math! Doesn't that sound like a good investment strategy?

There's probably no better person to talk about the temptations of power than a man who, before he became a follower of Jesus Christ, was entrenched right in the center of power. Those of you old enough to remember Watergate and Nixon's "hatchet man" will remember the name, Chuck Colson. Because of the temptations of power, Colson crashed morally and spiritually. He went from the president's inner circle to jail. In the process, he had to confront his own sin, and he surrendered to Christ.

Colson said, "Many Christians, like most of the populace, believe the political structures can cure all our ills. The fact is, however, that government, by its very nature, is limited in what it can accomplish. What it does best is perpetuate its own power and bolster its own bureaucracies."

One last thing I want you to notice about the temptations of power. It was the corruption of Samuel's sons that caused discontent among the people. Because they yielded to temptation, the people became dissatisfied.

And one problem led to another. The people got rid of Joel and Abijah, but they got King Saul instead. One of the big problems with politics is that it comes with temptation. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

2. Politics relies on a worldly system.

The people didn't just want to get rid of their corrupt leaders, they wanted to be like the rest of the world. "Appoint a king to lead us," they said, "such as all the other nations have (v 5)... We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles (v 19-20)."

In other words, they were looking to a worldly, human system of government to solve their problems and to fight their battles.

The Bible warns us against worldly ways of thinking, systems which open the door to lies and deception. "17 ...you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." (Eph 4:17-18)

The "futility of their thinking...[and] darkened in their understanding" seems like a good definition for politics. It's believing that a human leader can "go out before us and fight our battles." This is futility!

We also become confused because of the futility of politics, which seems to specialize in twisting the facts. There are charges and counter-charges. Information is distorted. Our perspective becomes warped. Political advertising preys on our fears. Politics has become mean-spirited. It seems most candidates vilify (or demonize) their opponents, often creating an evil caricature of their personalities and positions. "Spin masters," pollsters, and political "handlers" have muddied the waters of discussion. Our thinking as a society has become futile.

In the 2004 presidential election, partisan fervor visited the University of North Carolina. Two students—one supporting George Bush, the other supporting John Kerry—debated over a unique political question: Who would Jesus vote for? That question wasn't answered, but we can guess Jesus wasn't too pleased with his two representatives. Words became more intense; the exchange became heated; and one of debaters slapped the other in the face. He fell to the concrete patio, suffering a head injury. ["Only in America," The Week (10-15-04) p. 6]

As believers, here's what we need to remember: We are citizens of heaven, first, with responsibilities on earth, second. We are called to do good and overcome evil. We must clearly proclaim biblical truth; we must offer real hope to our society. But we are not to pin our hopes on a king. We are not to rely on a worldly system.

Scot McKnight, a college professor, writes in "The Eschatology of Politics: What Election Day might reveal about the hopes of evangelicals": (9/26/08 blog):

...where does my hope turn when I think of war or poverty or education or racism? Does it focus on November 4? Does it gain its energy from thinking that if we get the right candidate elected our problems will be dissolved? [As believers] Our hope is in God...  at election time we can use the season to re-align our mission with the mission of God. Therein lies our hope.

Politics depends on a worldly system of thinking! But we cannot be trapped in that way of thinking. We must remember that the Kingdom of God is neither red nor blue!

3. Politics erodes our trust in God.

God told Samuel, "They have rejected me as their king" (v 7).

They didn't look to God to deal with Samuel's corrupt sons. They didn't trust the Lord to fix their problems. They went to their own solution, rather than wait to see what God would do.

Americans are an independent breed of people. Our country was born in a quest for greater independence. As a result, we often think too highly of ourselves—believing our ingenuity and determination can solve any problem. The American dream glorifies positive thinking and self-sufficiency.

There's much good that can be said for this innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. But there's also danger in growing too proud and so independent that we cannot humble ourselves before God and ask for his help. There is danger in trusting the king and his help instead of God.

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.

We've seen a great fall on a street called Wall. Humpty Dumpty—our nest egg, our financial markets, stocks, and banks—fell and was broken. Humpty Dumpty is a mess. Humpty Dumpty has a lot of problems. Don't expect the king or his men or his horses to repair Humpty's problems.

Ben Bernanke, the Fed, the IMF, the UN...they can't fix Humpty. John McCain says he'll get rid of greed on Wall Street. He can't do that. Can't be done.

The more we trust politicians, the less we trust God.

The Bible says, "7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm" (Psalms 20:7-8).

Good government can do a lot of good, but it can never take the place of trusting in God.

The Bible says, "30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. 31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD" (Prov 21:30-31).

It says, "16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love," (Psalms 33:16-18).

As God's people, we don't have to rely on all the king's horses and all the king's men. Our hope is in the Lord.

4. Politics cannot relieve the human condition.

God intended for some government. He intended that our civic affairs should be governed by leaders and authorities. And he tells us how we should relate to our leaders. In Romans 13 God tells us we should pay our taxes and that we should submit to the governing authorities. In 1 Timothy 2 he tells us that we should pray for those who are in authority. But government is a human institution with flaws and shortcomings. Government cannot relieve the human condition.

The more government we have, the more stress. Samuel reminded the people all they would get with a king—he'll draft your sons into his army; he'll enlist your daughters in his service; he'll tax your crops and fields and vineyards and flocks. Eventually, Samuel said, "you yourselves will become his slaves" (v 17).

Government can become more of a problem than it is a solution! It can restrict us and regulate us until our personal freedoms become non-existent. "When that day comes," Samuel said, "you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen" (v 18).

Here is the great irony of a political solution. Just when we think it solves one of our problems, it creates two more. We want government to reduce our stress, but we will always cry out for relief from the kings we choose.

This is why the kingdom of God must be our focus. The real problems people need to overcome are problems of the heart and spirit. People are hurting, but they don't need promises of bailouts and lower taxes. They need salvation. They need a change of heart, not a change of policy. They need eternal hope.

This is why the church should be rolling up its sleeves, doing God's will in a hurting world. "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matt 25:40). We do not absolve ourselves of the responsibility of caring for others simply by paying taxes and letting the government care for the welfare of others.

In Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work and Service, college professor Mary Poplin tells how she volunteered for two months in Calcutta, India, with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity. She was a new Christian, on a quest to explore all the parts of the body of Christ, and to understand what it means to serve Christ as his follower. But never before had she been so close to such outward poverty or exposed to the "least of these"—those whom no one else wanted to help. She worked in a home caring for children, newborn to 10 years old, some handicapped or deformed, others sick with illnesses such as malaria or tuberculosis.

But while helping these helpless children, she came to realize that she herself was needy in a different way. She learned not all poverty is apparent to the human eye.

"Mother [Teresa] told me how people in the West are poor," she says. "In fact, she considered us the poorest of the poor spiritually because our physical comfort makes us believe we do not need God, and our busyness makes us ignore him."

After working in Calcutta, Mary came to see the meaning of Mother Teresa's words: "Find the sick, the suffering and the lonely right there where you are. ...You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see."

There is a Calcutta for each one of us to find—probably not the Calcutta in India—but perhaps a Calcutta next door or across the street. God wants us to become rich in love by what we do, reaching out to someone who is hurting, someone who is in need. God wants us to bring relief. Politics cannot find Calcutta for you, and politics cannot bring relief.

One of the ways we can bring relief is to bring people to Jesus. Sinful hearts need to see God's love on the cross. They need to experience the power of the cross so they can be forgiven. God—not politics—is the answer to the problem of the human heart. Politics cannot...

• Get rid of greed on Wall Street;
• Transform people's lives;
• Change hatred and bigotry into love;
• Eradicate pride in Washington;
• Remove selfishness from American society;
• Turn immoral people into good people with convictions and conscience.

All that's wrong with our nation and the world requires Jesus, a real Savior.