The Shifting Sands of American Politics
July 28, 2024
The metaphor of shifting sand is particularly apt as it relates to American presidential
politics in July, 2024. And, the month isn’t even over yet.
When was the last time that the political landscape has changed as quickly as it has over the last month or so? In my own lifetime, only 1963, 1968, and 1974 eclipse what we have experienced between June 27 and July 28. In many ways the events that occurred in our nation since the 2016 presidential election have set the table for our current national level of socio-political conflict, a divide that is possibly past the point of repair. Where does this leave America?
Think of the recent sequence of events. In a little over thirty days our nation has reacted to the first scheduled presidential debate of 2024; the resultant shock relating to our current president’s visible cognitive and physical decline; the very-public machinations of the president’s own political party to replace him; the assassination attempt on the life of the sitting president’s primary opponent; the withdrawal of our president as a candidate for reelection; and the emergence of a candidate with even more progressive credentials. Did you ever think such a series of events would occur as they did? I didn’t, even as a praying follower of Jesus Christ.
But I shouldn’t be surprised, and neither should you.
Evangelical Christians have always been activists, as demonstrated by David W. Bebbington in his Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History From the 1730’s to the 1980’s. As Bebbington shows, our activism has historically shown itself in terms of evangelism. However, this has shifted in the direction of political action and social justice instead. Why? Both are results-oriented and those results can be measured in more tangible ways than can any evangelistic process. And, these are both more socially acceptable forms of engagement than evangelism. So, we talk and write and debate and fret over the upcoming general election in November. And we will do so everyday between July 29 and November 5, and even afterwards, regardless of your political orientation.
There is a better way. It is to remind ourselves of the preeminence of Jesus Christ, who reigns from the right hand of the Father right now. His reign is invisible but real and potent, accomplishing the purposes of the Triune God. The day will come that his reign will be visible (the considered position of a committed premillennialist!) and equally potent. But this is what it means to sing, “Our God Reigns!” A careful reading of Colossians 1:15-20 will support this truth. So, do not look to either of our two primary political parties to usher in “solid rock” performances. Neither will. Read, pray, vote, and live in confident faith that God is the one who lifts up and takes down as he works out his own good, perfect, and acceptable will.
Theology For Sheep 