More Christians in Politics?

 I'm taking another shortcut today.  I will copy a Facebook post from earlier today, but first, I'll copy what I wrote by way of introduction to some of our ministers when I sent them a copy of the article:

"The writer is David French, whose writing I appreciate perhaps more than that of any other columnist in mainstream media.  He is a Christian, a lawyer by training, and a journalist by profession. This article can be found in The Dispatch, a conservative online news source."

Several of our ministers had said something in church today along some of the same lines, and I thought they would enjoy seeing it written in such eloquent language.  I often feel like French is better at articulating the traditional position of Mennonites in relation to politics than most of conservative Mennonites are doing today.  He is a veteran, as you will see referenced in this column.  I had heard somewhere that he is pacifist, but I haven't been able to corroborate that.  If so, he clearly changed since the Iraq war.  

Miriam Iwashige

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Preach. So much "yes."

Below is an excerpt from a confessional column--a rare phenomenon in journalism. I can't think of a better way for earning respect among believers than to do what Christians are called to do "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16 (KJV)

So very many of us are distressed by the fractures in relationships among citizens and the gaping wounds that we see inflicted by prominent figures and influencers in the public square. No matter our position, we should all care about making things better. Confession and prayer are a good place to begin.

Please read the entire column for a more complete picture of the writer's route to where he "lives" now. Reading it makes me profoundly grateful for being able to arrive at similar understandings by a far more quiet route. All I needed to do was follow the godly example of many who preceded me in the family, the church, and the community.

"I now see that my young desire for “more Christians in politics” and “more respect for Christians in public life” was part of the plank in my eye. Indeed, it helped make me gullible and tribal. I found myself loath to admit or confess sins in the church and quick to defend Christians from external fire. By contrast I was often eager to critique secular cultures and slow to respond when my own narratives came under credible attack.

To be sure, some of the best people in public life proclaim the name of Christ. But so do some of the worst. While some of the most important fights for justice have been led by Christians—including the civil rights and pro-life movements—some of the most destructive political and cultural forces have been loudly and proudly led by Christians as well."

The entire essay can be accessed here.  Please read.