What Color is Your Christianity?
What color is your Christianity?
We are still about four months away from Election Day and I’m already tired of hearing about politics. And it’s only going to get worse. As we approach November, we will see more ads, hear more on the news, and come across more billboards, lawn signs, and bumper stickers than we can shake a stick at. And yet, how much does it really matter? According to a Harvard/CAPS poll, more than 70% of voters have already decided who they are going to vote for.[1] And while polls are not always a reliable indicator of reality, it sure feels like this one is true. People have already decided months before Election Day who they are going to punch on their ticket, at least when it comes to the office of the President. Pundits have already divided the country into red and blue states and even red and blue people, but I’m hoping that this coming election season, whether you are a Democrat or Republican, you won’t vote red or blue. Instead, I implore you to vote purple.
Purple isn’t just a combination of red and blue (which ironically it is).
It’s also the color we use to associate with Christ. Purple was a hard color to come by in ancient times. It was obtained by the harvesting of marine snails and was very labor intensive so only royalty or those with authority would wear garments with that color.[2] When Jesus was being crucified, the Roman guards mocked him by putting on a purple robe and a crown of thorns and calling him the “King of the Jews” (John 19:1-5). Because of this and because we believe Jesus to be our one true Lord and Savior, we associate purple with Christ. It’s in that spirit Christians all over the country need to approach not just the coming election but everything we do – with a purple lens. Not with partisan blinders but really being open to where God is leading our country and more importantly his people.
And we forget that too often.
We are ALL God’s children. Democrats and Republicans; Black and White; Christians and Atheists; even Dodgers fans and Giants fans – no matter how misguided Giants fans are – are all equal in the sight of God. God doesn’t say to us he only loves you if you do XYZ or believe this or that. God loves you no matter what and then HOPES you make good choices in life. But his love isn’t contingent on that. Even when you mess up big, God still loves you. And that’s what God expects of us. To love those around us even when we don’t share their thoughts and opinions. Maybe sometimes because we don’t share their thoughts and opinions. We’re supposed to be above the political fray. But instead, it looks we are right in the middle of it with everybody else. When we look at the decline of Christianity, it’s not because the world has grown increasingly agnostic. It’s because Christians haven’t done a very good job of being Christ-like. We’ve become known for being judgmental, hypocritical, and too involved in politics.[3] One young man said, “…twenty years ago, when I was looking at evangelical Christianity from the inside, it seemed like a movement bursting with energy to spread good news to people. Looking at it from the outside today, this message seems to have been lost in exchange for an aggressive political strategy that demonizes segments of society.”[4] Who would want to be part of something like that? If you’re tempted to dismiss this as a young person’s hubris, don’t. It has become our reality and it’s very real.
The solution comes from a story about Jesus’ own life.
In this story below, we find Jesus in Jerusalem. It takes place after he chases out the vendors in the temple court. Jesus is appalled they would desecrate the Holy Temple grounds by turning it into what he called “a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). But it makes him an even bigger target for the chief priests who are thinking of ways to kill him (Mark 11:18). Jesus’ following is growing and growing because they see the power of his words and his teachings. But take a moment and think about that. These are the religious leaders of the Jewish people and they are so twisted up in a knot they ignore one of the most central tenets of their faith – thou shalt not kill. So when our story takes place, they are trying to publicly humiliate Jesus and this is what happens next.
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him. – Mark 12:13-17
Jesus is caught in a classic “no win” scenario.
If he tells them to pay the tax, the Pharisees can discredit him by claiming he is saying Rome has greater authority than God! But if he tells them to ignore the tax, the Pharisees can rat on him to the Roman government and telling them Jesus is inciting people to defy the law. Either way he loses. But then Jesus pulls a WOPR. Like the supercomputer in the movie WarGames, Jesus realizes the only way to win is not to play the game.[5] He tells them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” In one fell swoop he upholds Roman authority AND God’s at the same time. But what I really like about his answer is he not only escapes their trap but elevates his argument by reminding them we answer to a higher calling. That while we are obligated to live by the rules of our society, we have a greater responsibility to live our lives as children of God because ultimately our allegiance doesn’t belong to a man or a party or even a country. Our allegiance rests solely with God. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God first and foremost and shouldn’t forget it.
In our contentious times, we need to remember more than ever to treat one another with love.
We rely on the idea of an eye for an eye, but Christ calls us to turn the other cheek. The ministry of Christ is radical and humble. It isn’t arrogant or proud. And that’s who we need to be in this election season. When we vote for a person or a bill, we need to remember to do it with love. If the people around us don’t agree how we think or how we vote, we shouldn’t degrade them but instead pray for them and treat them with respect. We need to see the world through the lens of Christ and analyze the issues and ideas through his eyes. I’m reminded at this time of President Carter who said he was greatly influenced by something he heard in a sermon as a young man. The pastor said, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”[6] When thinking about the things that matter most to you, consider yourself neither blue nor red but instead the purple of Jesus.
[1] https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4750545-poll-decided-voters-presidential-election/
[2] https://carnegiemnh.org/born-to-the-purple/
[3] UnChristian by David Kinnaman, p.34.
[4] UnChristian by David Kinnaman, p. 166.
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-win_situation
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter#Religion
Craig's Corner 