It has been a while since I have written a blog post. The world has changed significantly since my last post. We thought COVID would be a two-week thing and then get back to our normal lives. I for one, ran to it thankful for an opportunity to slow down and reevaluate my own priorities. And then two weeks turned into two months, and now 5 months in my company informed us we will be working from home for the rest of the year if not longer. So, in addition to a disease floating around the world killing people, I am now (mostly) stuck in my cute little apartment for the foreseeable future.
In addition to this virus, we have another disease wreaking havoc on our country: hatred. And not just normal hatred, political hatred, division, and racial injustice. For us to be one nation under God, I’m not always convinced we have lived up to those words these last few years let alone the last few months. All of the turmoil is awful and exhausting. Aren’t you tired of it yet? And I don’t mean this in a now we should stop or give up way, I mean, the work to be done is going to be a marathon and marathons are an exhausting experience.
Part of why I have been quieter over the last few months is because instead of talking (or writing in this case) I have been listening. Listening to the voices of friends, family, government leaders, influencers with diverse perspectives. In the process of listening, I have learned a lot about myself and about this country. How we were born, how we have treated people from the beginning of our existence, and what makes this country different. One thing I would like to say before I get into the lessons and opinions I have formulated from the last several weeks is that I am wildly patriotic. I love this country. And in loving this country, I have confidence that we are not perfect and with the love I have, I also then have the ability to see flaws and the responsibility to call them out. That is the definition of civil responsibility to me, to love my country and love it enough to correct it when it is doing things wrong. Just like a parent would correct a child from bad or wrong behavior but still love that child.
So it is with love for this country and humility, understanding I do NOT know everything but am continuing to learn, that I want to share a few things I have come to realize through a variety of medias and outlets: Hamilton, Madam Secretary, the AND Campaign book Compassion & Conviction, and the Bible.
1.Hamilton- First of all, if you haven’t seen this musical on Disney+ or in the actual theater, you need to watch it as soon as humanly possible. Like RIGHT NOW. Not only it is an ingenious musical, it a fantastic way to explore one of our founding fathers and the birth of our young, scrappy, and hungry nation. There are a number of quotes from this musical that stand out and will change your life. But one that has continued to play over and over and over again in my head is from the song Wait For It. This song plays in the second half of the show, sung by Aaron Burr, a former friend turned somewhat of an enemy of Alexander Hamilton. He’s talking about waiting on his lover’s husband to die in the war so he can be with her, waiting for Hamilton to lose so he can take his spot, constantly waiting. But the lines that sticks out the most are these:
Life doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints,
it takes and it takes and it takes.
And we keep living anyway,
We rise and we fall and we break, and we make our mistakes.
And if there’s a reason I’m still alive when so many have died,
I’m willing to wait for it, I’m willing to wait for it.
Aaron Burr is willing to wait for his chance, after all of the mess-ups and hard parts of life, he is willing to wait for his chance. Because while others have tried over and over again, he is sure this is his calling. All he has to do is wait for his time. Something about this being our time to help our brothers and sisters break the cycle of injustice and gain actual equality, just resonates with me. There have been so many others before us who have died wanting this world to be better, this country to be better. And now it is our turn, no more waiting. We are here and it is our time to rise. We may fall or break or make mistakes (goodness knows we will make mistakes), but we are here for a reason and the time for racial reconciliation and equality is now.
2. Madam Secretary- Another amazing show. All seasons are on Netflix and worth every hour to watch it. What I love about this show other than it is witty and amazing, is this show did a fantastic job of portraying a strong female Secretary of State who practiced bipartisanship well. One thing I largely dislike about our country is our two-party system. You can tell me all you want that we don’t have two parties in this democracy, but we all know that’s not the case. Anyone who runs as an independent doesn’t win, and we argue so much on the topics we require EVERYONE to pick a side or else. But the truth that I believe about politics is that it was created to find a space for all sides to represent the wide range of perspectives and find a COMPROMISE in there somewhere. I think our country has greatly lost our concept of compromise for the good of the country, finding the middle ground to make it work for both sides. In a book I will address in the next section, they said it this way, “Both sides have become less tolerant of differing viewpoints and often stamp out candidates and advocates who hold a more nuanced or moderate perspective.†(p.39) And then here in Madam Secretary, she spends tireless efforts to bridge the void between all sides, foreign or domestic. This TV show provided me with something I never thought could exist in this country, a successful bipartisan politician. I realize it is only TV and not real life, but I hadn’t seen this before now. And I’m in my 30s, who knows the last time we had an example of a strong, fair, and compassionate politician, let alone one that was a female. One line from the last season that has stayed with me and likely what drew me into this series in the first place is about her superpower. Her leading political advisor said this of his Madam Secretary, “Vulnerability (compassion) wasn’t her weakness. It was her superpower.†I have been praying for our leaders to learn to see compassion for others, for the orphaned and widowed, for those who are experiencing injustice and rise to the occasion with compassion and conviction to act accordingly.
3. The AND Campaign- A friend of mine recently directed me to the AND Campaign’s Instagram account after a heartfelt conversation about politics and how I felt like I had no idea what was going on with our world. The first quote I came across from this group struck me at the center of my current political mental state: “Have you ever felt too progressive for conservatives, but too conservative for progressives?†YES. This was exactly what I have been feeling for a few years now, but has solidified over the last several months. There are things happening on either side I simply can’t support, not just because I think it is wrong but because I want to use a biblical lens when looking at the world, including politics. I was and am currently experiencing political homelessness. The AND Campaign released a book this month, Compassion & Conviction: the AND Campaign’s guide to faithful civic engagement. I NEEDED this book, more than I realized. This book outlines a number of reasons why Christians should engage in politics, but also HOW we should engage in politics. “To avoid or dismiss political engagement is to forgo an important opportunity to help our neighbors and to promote the righteousness and justice that are the foundation of God’s throne.†(p.7) There were several helpful insights from this book. One that I want to scream at the top of my lungs from the tallest building in this country is “When it comes to political ideology, to be conservative or progressive at all times and on every issue is not only to be intellectually lazy and easily manipulated but also it’s unfaithful.†(p. 50) Or put another way, “It’s intellectually lazy to agree with the same political party on every single issue. That’s a clear indication that we’ve been indoctrinated, which should never be an option for Christians.†(p. 73) And this one just kicked me in the gut, “The downside of conservatism is that it often fails to show love and show justice- vital components of a gospel-centered framework†(p. 52). You see, we can disagree on so many things, but what we can never and should never disagree on is the value of human life, the idea that politics exist to make our country and it’s citizens stronger, better, respected. Do your own reading. Examine your own heart on hot topics. Do you know only buzz words about it or have you actually done the research for yourself? Craft your own opinion, based on a solid foundation (the Bible) and then open your ears to hear other perspectives. It is our job to find the middle ground.
4. The Bible- Last but certainly not least, the Bible has shaped my political beliefs more than any media out there. The AND Campaign book does a fantastic job of aligning their discussion points with appropriate and accurate Scripture references, but I’d rather go straight to the source. In the last few months, I have been reading through books 1 & 2 Peter and Daniel. There are plenty of other places where the scriptures look at government and how we should respond to it, but these are the ones I have been reading while the world has been burning down around us (or so it seems!). First, with Daniel, he is captured by the new King Nebuchadnezzar, brought to a new land and required to abide by new rules. In the process, Daniel obeyed government law when it did not go against the laws of God. When they did cross that line, Daniel and his friends were respectful in their disobedience and were willing to suffer the consequences. For his willingness to stand up for his beliefs, Daniel and his friends were rescued from their consequences and given high positions over the entire kingdom. This political position allowed him to do good for others, the whole reason for politics in the first place.
And then there’s this verse from 1 Peter that I just couldn’t brush aside:
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. – 1 Peter 2:16-17
Do you see that part about not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil? Yeah, that part. This is where I think we have gotten it wrong recently when it comes to politics. We have taken our freedoms, cloaked ourselves in it, and then used it to do evil. Evil like ignoring the injustices happening to our brothers and sister. Evil like, disengaging in politics because we don’t want to ruffle feathers rather than stepping into the mess with respect and grace to be a voice for the voiceless. Peter makes it sound so simple. Honor everyone. EVERYONE. There is no color delineation here, no racial divide or gender, sexual orientation. HONOR EVERYONE. Love the brotherhood (here he means the church, the gathering, and the fellowship of other believers). Love them. Love them well. They are your strongest ally, not the easy enemy. Fear God. Fear Him because He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving. That kind of BIG is worthy of fear and awe. Honor the Emperor (or government that has been placed over you). Honor doesn’t mean agree with 100% of the time, but respect for the authority placed over us. Even when they get it wrong, come to them with respect.
These outlets have been so helpful to me as I have reevaluated and reformed my thinking because sadly up until this I would very much characterize myself as an indoctrinated individual when it came to politics. And maybe it is from living in DC where politics are around me all of the time, but I am tired of being indoctrinated rather than forming my own opinions. Not only does it not reflect who I am or what I want to support as a person. I’m now not entirely convinced a single party in and of itself addresses the largest issues of our country from a Biblical perspective. I came to this conclusion after months of reading, studying, listening, and reflecting. You don’t have to agree with me. We can disagree and still get along. Shocking I know! But whatever you decide to believe and act on when it comes to politics, I beg you to figure it out for yourself. Stop listening to the buzz words and those lashing out in anger. Listen instead to the actual issues (racism and equality for example) and determine for yourself where you feel inclined to act. And then do it- act! Act by voting, by protesting, by marching, by loving your neighbor, by serving others, by being a voice. Just do something. Discussing politics is hard, acting on what you believe is right is hard. But it is through these hard things we not only better ourselves, but our fellow brothers and sisters who need us, and our country. May we all find ways to “Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God†(Micah 6:8).
