Thoughts on 2020
How our broken political system is destroying our country and the church
If someone were to ask me my predominant feeling right now, after the last 12 months, I would have to say, I’m tired. It would be easy to say it in a way that reflects anger, such as, “I’m tired of this or that”, but the truth is, I’m more worn out than anything. This year has been mentally, emotionally, spiritually, relationally and physically exhausting. As I’ve taken time to reflect on why I feel this way, it’s caused me to really examine the broken system that we currently embrace as a culture in both our country and the church nationally. I want to share with you my thoughts, but I first need to let you into my mind so you can understand why I feel a need to share my thoughts and also why I think the way I do.
I’m a leader. I mean that in both personality and position. Depending on what personality test you use, I’m an 8, lion, D, or Protagonists (ENFJ-A). I’m also the Lead Pastor at The Tree Church. As a leader in a position that requires leadership (seems obvious!), I’m constantly looking at life through the lens of how to make it better for not only myself, but also for others. I critique everything in my life to find ways to improve. If you’re not wired like me, it will be impossible to fully understand that I’m not exaggerating when I say that I critique everything in my life. I don’t do it in a judgmental way, where I look down on a person or group, but I evaluate the “how” and “why” of systems and think about how to improve it. I do this instinctively. If I go to a restaurant, retail establishment, another church, school for my kids, etc., I naturally take in their systems, and I process what I would do differently. This process usually takes seconds, and as quickly as it came in my head, it leaves, never to be thought about again. Most of my thoughts are centered around systems and how they are either effective or ineffective. My wife, Mary, bears the burden of hearing my endless thoughts about what I would do differently, when I choose to vocalize them. I’m thankful she’s a loving and patient person!
I’m aware that the potential negative aspect of my personality is that it can be exhausting to both myself and the people in my life, especially those that work for me. My awareness of this risk allows me to be purposed in balancing a healthy culture of critique with a culture of celebration. Though there are risks, I have the firm conviction that the payoff far outweighs the risk. I’ve witnessed the benefit of evaluating everything and how it leads to a level of excellence that allows for more and more lives to be blessed by it. Because I live in the world of ministry, our success means that people’s lives are being changed, and there is no price tag you can place on that! There is too much at stake to settle for the status quo. Every system we have directly impacts lives, not only in the present day but also in the generations to come. That’s an incredible privilege, but it’s also a weighted responsibility.
The reason I’ve briefly explained my perspective is so you can understand why I speak out on issues that are often times sensitive. I will touch on topics that others run from, such as politics, race, morality and sports (that one is more for fun) because I believe how we respond to those issues will impact the quality of life for ourselves and those with whom we are in a relationship. I believe calling out the broken systems will help people have a healthier perspective to evaluate their own behavior. I have an unwavering conviction that if I stay silent where God has given me both wisdom (revelation) and a platform, I am neglecting the calling of God on my life. This next statement is all you need to know to understand me; to fail in my calling from God is the greatest fear of my life. To be clear, I don’t have an unhealthy fear of God. I love God so much and have received His love to the core of who I am, and I never want to do anything to fail Him. His love is my motivator for excellence in my calling.
So, as I begin to explain my evaluation of our broken culture, I’m going to address things that are deeply personal to some. I’m going to address politics and morality, which will touch on areas that you might firmly disagree with me on. I’m not doing this to attack any group, nor do I think I will be perfectly correct on every issue, but I want to share my perspective to spark both thought and conversation. If we disagree, I’m ok to still be friends, and I hope you feel the same way. To people who attend my church: if I say something that feels like a personal attack, I sincerely pray you will give me grace knowing that is not my goal, and I would welcome dialogue on any and all of the things I share. I celebrate the idea of “I could be wrong.” and hope you will, too. To some, this feels weak, but to me, it is the strongest position we can take. To be life-long learners means we have the potential to become better and better versions of ourselves, and that’s my personal hope for my life. The only way to grow is to have the conviction that it’s possible some of the things you currently believe might be wrong. If what you believe is true, it will be able to stand the test. If it’s not, you will have the choice to adjust and, once again, be better.
So, as I deal with these very personal and sensitive topics, please know that my bluntness is not meant to be aggressive but to bring clarity on what I believe. Feel free to comment with questions and other perspectives.
Let’s jump into the deep end now…
As I reflect on our culture over the last 12 months, there are two things that vividly stand out to me as broken: first, that our political system is absolutely corrupt. The second is that many in our culture have embraced hypocrisy.
Let me break down both issues:
Corrupt Political System
Both political parties (Republican and Democrat) have consistently shown a willingness to compromise their integrity to keep power within their party. They no longer serve for the betterment of their constituents or the nation, but instead try to retain power for themselves. Though President Trump’s recent example of inciting a riot is probably the most extreme example in my lifetime of someone trying to retain power, it’s not the only example. For instance, both parties embrace the same rhythm; if it’s beneficial for their party, they will endorse a candidate, and when it is no longer beneficial, they condemn them. Four years ago, the Democrats condemned the then presidential candidate, Trump, because he sexually assaulted women and admitted to it on a secret recording. Four years later, the Democrats endorse Biden, who has been accused numerous times of the same thing. When questioned about the obvious contradiction, the most common answer was that Biden was the most likely to defeat President Trump. Their basic argument was, “Biden will help us retain power, and therefore, we must vote for him.” The sad truth is that I could change the name of the candidates to reflect each party, embracing this sad lack of conviction.
During the last few weeks, Republican leaders continued to support President Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the election was rigged, until he incited a riot and became too risky to support. Then, all of their character suddenly came back, and now, they claim there was no evidence of voter fraud. Lindsey Graham, arguably President Trump’s most loyal, political friend, got up in front of the Senate after the riot to say that though he asked for proof of the rigged election, they couldn’t give him even one example. He spoke with conviction stating that the results were correct, and it’s now over! Where was this conviction in the days leading up to it?
I could list a dozen more examples but don’t think it’s necessary. I think it is obvious that both parties’ primary goal is now to retain power for their parties. They fight everything the other party does so their opponent will fail, even though it hurts America. They promote a message of division centered around the danger of electing the other party so that people will remain loyal to their party. Character is no longer a celebrated trait and has been replaced with whoever can attack the opposition the best. The vile way they speak to and about each other no longer even shocks us. It’s heartbreaking to me because we are seeing that same evil behavior being repeated on social media amongst people that used to be in relationships with each other.
The system is broken. Both parties are equally broken, and until you realize it, you will continue to invest your heart and hope into a broken system. Both parties do not reflect the values of Jesus Christ. Their goals are not love or the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Neither party is the “Christian Party,” and we have to stop acting like they are. Though each party has elements that reflect Jesus’ values, they also have much that is evil, and the lesser of evils is still evil. The party of Jesus will never have a tolerance for evil. The deal-breaker issue for many Republicans is, rightfully, the abortion issue. The murdering of unborn children is one of the darkest stains on America’s history and current condition. As evil as abortion is, it’s not more evil than being unloving. President Trump’s vicious verbal attacks grieve the heart of God as much as abortion. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 verses 21 and 22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” Jesus literally made murder and verbally attacking someone equally bad with the same consequence. When we try to justify a party by demonizing the other party more, we fail to reflect the standard of Jesus. Again, that’s a broken system.
Nation’s Hypocrisy
Over the last year, we have seen people go out of their way to try to excuse the rioting and looting because, in their mind, the end justified the means. Those same people are now condemning the rioting and looting of the Capitol. On the flip side, the people who spent the better part of this year condemning the rioting and looting are now doing mental gymnastics trying to explain why this time is different. The truth is that doing illegal things (rioting, looting, damaging personal property, etc.) is always wrong. There’s no valid argument against this.
This year, I have heard people on both sides ignore the obvious lies and evil behavior of their candidate for the reason that the other candidate is more evil, and therefore, to call out the lesser of evils would threaten our country’s future. I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT HOW WRONG THIS IS! People have literally said to me from both sides, “If you critique one candidate’s bad behavior, you’re supporting the other candidate.” Why do people embrace something that is completely illogical and hypocritical? Because, they are following the lead of politicians who have been lying and embracing hypocrisy for decades without consequences.
It is not only accepted but expected that political candidates will make promises on the campaign trail they have no intention of keeping. President Trump has consistently lied via speeches and social media for over five years. President Elect Biden is no different, consistently lying on the campaign trail about his past stances on issues, past behavior and the policies of his opponent. As both sides fought to defend the lies of their candidate, they were asking us to shut off our common-sense brains. The common defense was that “if you believe those lies, you are watching/listening to the wrong source!” I, personally, am so tired of that defense. No, I am not being deceived by MSM. No, I am not watching Fox News. No, your conspiracy is not really the truth. Friends, I have both a brain and, more importantly, the Holy Spirit of God inside of me. His promise is to guide me into all truth. I believe Him. When I clearly see someone lie, I will call it what it is.
At some point, we the people have to understand that we are the problem. We allow politicians to manipulate and set our standard of character. Until we care more about love and truth than we do a political party, we will be manipulated into making fools of ourselves as our nation has over the last year. How many relationships were hurt this past year because of politics? How many people quit churches because of their stances on perceived political issues? How many people destroyed their ability to ever have influence in someone else’s life because of their social media posts? Politics did not unite our country, but instead, they have purposefully divided it. Politics did not lead us closer to Jesus. It led us to worship men and systems ahead of God, and that’s called idolatry. We not only allowed it, but we championed it.
As a pastor, it became obvious to me quickly that people in my church were following political leaders more than they were me or other pastors. The truth of God’s Word was less of an influence than the political commentators they supported. If I said a theological statement that challenged something political, I was called out for being both political and often times, liberal. I had people sit in my office and after I quoted them scriptures to support my opinion, tell me that I was being deceived by the mainstream media. It broke my heart, not for my ego, but for their lives. They were following a path I knew didn’t lead to life, and because I loved them, it broke my heart.
To be blunt, I have no hope in the political system. I don’t spend a lot of time listening to politically-charged opinion pieces. I’m well read and informed, but I don’t get caught up on one side or the other. I am no longer a Republican. I never was a Democrat. Neither party meets the bare minimum requirement of character that I would need to potentially support them. I am simply without a party. That’s ok. Why? I don’t need a party or candidate to be my champion. I know for many of you that supported a candidate, you felt he was speaking in the place of your lost voice; he was your champion. I sympathize with you. You have felt overlooked and neglected, and when Trump or Biden got up and spoke, parts of their message resonated with your heart. The problem, though, is that neither candidate has character, and neither candidate has true power.
Solution?
So, what’s the solution? Put your hope in the only One who has true character and power! Put your hope in Jesus, alone. The only leader in human history who led with true love for the people was Jesus. He had zero selfish ambition. Every single thing He did was for the purpose of loving humanity. Once again, He is the only one you should put your hope in. The Republican and Democratic parties are broken and will always let you down. Their ultimate goal (if you give them the benefit of the doubt) is to better America. Though that goal is noble, it’s still less than the goal that Jesus has for your life. He wants to advance His kingdom while giving you abundant life. If you put your hope in a system designed for anything else, you will be disappointed, and if you choose to model your behavior after a political leader, you will do more damage to your own character and your relationships than you can imagine. Jesus has to be your hope and standard. Everyone else is aiming too low.
Once you put your hope in Jesus, you should take a look at how you thought and behaved this past year. Many need to spend some time in repentance. Many of you have put your hope in the idolatry of a political party and candidate. Many of you have fought for arguments instead of loving people. Many of you have put more energy into watching videos and reading things about politics than you have being in both the Word and the presence of God…and it shows. God convicts us so that we will run back to Him to receive grace. That’s an important step that we must take in our lives to restore both our health and the health of our reputation as Christians.
I’ve spent the last year trying to confront these issues. I have lost friends and people from my church who chose to believe that I was making a political statement instead of a theological one. I might lose more today. My prayer, though, is that everyone will realize that what I’m saying is not a political statement; it is the good news of Jesus.