The People of God in Multi-Cultural Politics

This is Gavin. As the resident theologian in my home, I'll try to help you understand our theological position. Emily could probably explain it better, but I've spent money on a theological education and feel that I should put that investment to use. :) It's so good to connect to you guys. I love the discussion. Emily and I have been talking about you guys and about this discussion all day. I'm glad that we can discuss as thoughtful believers who are seeking to build God's Kingdom. Really, it is so good to connect, Drew, to you and your wife. We pray blessings on your home.

On question #1: In our home, the Holy Scriptures are the supreme authority. We are radically orthodox in our theological positions, which spans from our view on the Church and the Holy Spirit to our view on the Scriptures. In fact, one of our missions is to reclaim the Biblical Narrative (see Hans Frei's Eclipse of the Biblical Narrative) in the Church's thought and culture. Quite literally, I intend to write a book on the subject of that previous sentence. But for now, understand that we are strongly orthodox in our position on the Scriptures.

Let me raise my first point: What are the Scriptures and for whom are they intended?

Are the Scriptures a Theological Handbook or a Systematic Theology?

If the Scriptures are intended to be a theological reference work or a systematic theology, then they fail horribly. For example, the drive of the work of Christ and the theology of the New Testament is to create the Church, the People of God who live under a New Covenant. If the Scriptures were a theological handbook, then why don't we have a clear, cogent ecclesiology (philosophy of Church)? Some may argue that we do, but theologically that is tough to support and by all means, the fruit of Church History does not support that idea. If they are not a theological reference work, what are they?

I believe the Scriptures are first and foremost our genealogy. The heritage of our People is recounted in the Scriptures. When I tell my children stories about Abraham, I describe him as our Great^(n) Grandfather. The Scriptures describe how God has and does interact with His People. The overarching Biblical Narrative is God's redemptive story that begins with Creation, goes through the Fall, to Redemption, to the Church (as His New People) to Re-Creation. Our family tells that story through a Sabbath rite every week. It is the core of the Scriptures and the substance of our identity. But the Scriptures are not about ink and text; they are about flesh and blood. God's desire has always been to incarnate Himself. He demonstrates that in Jesus and when Jesus ascends and the Holy Spirit descends, He incarnates Himself in the Church - the Body of Christ. I say all of that to remind us in this discussion - do not look to proof texts to support your arguments. The Scriptures are not a theological handbook; they are the lens for God's People to live and act.

With that said, Drew, let me put your mind to rest. Our family is anti-abortion. We feel that position coincides with the Biblical narrative. We advocate the sanctity of marriage, for we believe that it tells the story of Christ and His Bride (see Ephesians 6). However, we must keep in mind that the Scriptures are the narrative and the lens of life for God's People - (AND THIS IS A CENTRAL POINT) - The Scriptures ARE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE, not the lens of life for all people.

I'll repeat that - the Scriptures are the narrative and the identity for God's People. Every one in this country does not fall under the umbrella of being one of God's People. This country is a multi-cultural country, not a country of Christian culture. (I even argue that the Church (broadly defined) has lost its Christian culture, but that is another chapter in the book). The largest question is how do Christians, who believe in the Holy Scriptures, bring the culture (the ways of God) to a nation that has forgotten Him? And this gets to the core of this conversation, "Should evangelical Christians legislate the Kingdom of God into effect?"

My answer is unequivocally, unmistakably - NO! If we think that we should legislate our Christian world view into effect, then we have bought into the ways of the world. The Kingdom of God is built on service; in humility; and yes, in weakness. If the Church should legislate the Kingdom of God into effect, then logic should hold that Jesus should have legislated the Kingdom when He was here on earth. In that logic, Jesus should have been a politician, not a homeless rabbi. But that is just it - Jesus changed by gathering followers. He changed by making disciples. And His charge to us was to make disciples.

As Emily mentioned, one of the highest periods of Church growth was during the plagues in Rome, when Christians served, even though it could have cost them their lives. In fact, Constantine reacted to that Church growth by institutionalizing Christianity, which may have turned out to be one of the worst things for our Faith. Christians cannot lose sight that we create change through service and love. It is the essence of the Gospel. The minute we try to gain power by the means of power, we have forgotten the Gospel. Paul would write a scathing letter to us, telling us to remember the Gospel. When we want to effect social change, we have to resort to loving and to making disciples. Any other way, negates the Gospel and that is the core of our identity.

This statement should then beg the question, "Then why, Barack Obama?" We live in a multi-cultural nation. Christians are People of the Scriptures and a People of God's Ways. But when Moses gives God's Law in Exodus 20 and when Jesus (in parallel) gives the New Law in Matthew 5 - 7, that Law is never for the sake of salvation - not even in the Old Testament. Remember, God's People have already been saved from Eqypt before the Law is given. The Law is the rule for how God's People function - EMPHASIS - how GOD'S PEOPLE function. In other words, to legislate our Law (our ways of living and thinking) on people who do not follow God is dangerous and unbiblical. We must welcome people into our fold and DISCIPLE them into the ways of God, not LEGISLATE them into the ways of God. If we try to legislate them into the ways of God, then we KILL the discipleship process. So back to the question, why Barack Obama?

Barack Obama advocates for the freedom of all people. I am passionate about the freedom and equality of all people. Christian love is real when we can demonstrate that we love, no matter if we agree. As Tim Keller argues, Christian love does what Liberalism cannot do - it loves. In other words, Western Liberalism has sought to foster non-confrontational tolerance. But it cannot tolerate intolerance. Christians are to love no matter what - if you are tolerant or intolerant. I want homosexuals to have the freedom to live as homosexuals. I want people to openly advocate what they believe. In other words, I want the way they think and believe out in the open. I want to talk about it. I want the opportunity to love a person who does not advocate what I believe to be the culture and the ways of God. I prefer love and discipleship to legislation. Does legislating our belief upon people who are not our people transform their lives? Does it create disciples? If not, then how can we advocate it?

Rather, I want a society where all can speak freely and where all are treated as equals. We cannot try to legislate a Christian culture; we must advocate an open multi-cultural dialog so that the Kingdom of God can come from transformed lives - NOT from oppressed lives. Barack Obama is trying to restore the rights of the middle class. He's trying to get rid of the lobbyists who control Washington. He's trying to get us on an equal playing field and that's what I want. That is a cultural ethic that we can all agree to, especially Christians. We cannot allow special interest groups to impose their policy on the middle class any longer. If we allow that, the divide between middle class and the upper class will rip our country apart. If that requires more taxes, then tax me! I have been blessed to make a good income, tax me. Don't tax the middle class. Don't give a tax break to the upper 1.0%. Let's give the people an equal playing field and a voice to say what they believe so that we can get to more important things like life and discipleship.