Tension is essential for growth. Anyone who strength-trains knows time under tension — the amount of time a muscle is held under strain during a set of exercises. Such exertion compels a muscle to work harder, and that promotes mass. On the other hand, there’s a downside to tension, which not only affects physical health but also spiritual fitness. Russell Moore, Editor in Chief of Christianity Today, noted recently how political tension is sapping the vitality of the church.
In an August 8, 2023 podcast interview, he recounts, “Multiple pastors tell me, essentially, the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount, parenthetically, in their preaching—‘turn the other cheek’—[and] to have someone come up after to say, ‘Where did you get those liberal talking points?’” Moore continues, “And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, ‘I’m literally quoting Jesus Christ,’ the response would not be, ‘I apologize.’ The response would be, ‘Yes, but that doesn’t work anymore. That’s weak.’ And when we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus Himself are seen as subversive to us, then we’re in a crisis.”
Boiling Towards a Cold Heart
Indeed, Mr. Moore. Indeed. Over the years, political upheaval has been a primary ingredient to stir the nation to a boiling point, and it equates coldness of heart with strength.
Eric Holder, former Attorney General under former President Barack Obama — during a 2018 Democratic address in the state of Georgia — revised former First Lady Michelle Obama’s advice of “when they go low, we go high” with “when they go low, we kick them.” While Mr. Holder tried to soften his tone in subsequent interviews, the damage had been done.
On the other side of the political aisle, there’s similar sentiment from Donald Trump, Jr., eldest son of former President Donald Trump — who is, as of August 14, 2023, in deep legal peril, facing 91 criminal charges across four federal and state indictments.
Trump, Jr. said at a December 19, 2021 conservative gathering, “We’ve been playing T-ball for half a century while they’re playing hardball and cheating. Right? We’ve turned the other cheek, and I understand, sort of, the biblical reference — I understand the mentality — but it’s gotten us nothing. Okay? It’s gotten us nothing while we’ve ceded ground in every major institution in our country.”
Scheming to Fracture A Lasting Impact
Indelible marks of the Christian are love and forgiveness, and there’s an organized effort to fracture the life-changing impact we can have on our world. The Apostle Paul realized this when he told the Corinthian church to welcome back a young man they expelled for some time because of sexual sin. He said, “Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him. When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes (2 Corinthians 7-8, 10-11).”
Paul gives the same warning in his letter to the Ephesian church, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:11-12).”
Freedom from Partisanship in the Fellowship
Yet, Mr. Moore’s observation signfies willful blindness in Christendom to this diabolical plan. Like Mr. Holder, we’ve also been in the revision business. We’ve morphed the infamous in-house question, “What would Jesus do?” into “What would my party do?” In light of this, I have to ask: Are churches devolving into political eco-chambers, which use Jesus for cover to spew partisan vitriol from their pulpits and pews and under the banner of freedom?
Freedom, however, has its limits according to Galatians 5:13-15 where Paul urges, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.”
Formerly known as Saul, Paul was a scriptural scholar, and what Jesus spoke in Mark 10:42-45 must’ve influenced his letter to the Galatians. Christ said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you, it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Consumed by What We Consume
To become a more effective servant, I want to be aware of the conditions around me (or to be “woke” — reclaiming the word’s original meaning, first coined in the African-American community). Objective reporting from news outlets helps. That said, it can be detrimental to our spiritual vibrancy taking in countless hours of spin from watching CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation, or OAN, etc, and spend a small amount of time with the information that should primarily consume a Christian’s consciousness, the word of God.
It’s within the pages of scripture we discover where true strength lies. The Apostle Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 2:8-10 must speak forcefully for us all. God told him, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Therefore, Paul responded, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Standing Strong on a Song of Hope
Our hope and security are not in the White House or Congress or the Supreme Court. Regardless of political affiliation, we must settle this in our spirit. Otherwise, the heinous and carnal acts from riots — reaching a frightening new peak on January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol (of which some Christians committed and encouraged) — will be only precursors to the carnage and destruction to come “in the name of Jesus”.
To myself first and in hopes to regain our collective focus, I end as I did in an earlier post with the lyrics of a classic hymn:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
May we strive to rise above political chaos and fall on His shoulders.
Sources:
Article: “Time Under Tension Workouts: Are They More Effective?” by Emily Crankleton, published February 28, 2020
People: Russell Moore — Editor in Chief, Christianity Today
Website: Christianity Today
Article: “Evangelicals Are Now Rejecting ‘Liberal’ Teachings of Jesus” by Alia Salisco, published August 9, 2023
Article: “He was a top church official who criticized Trump. He says Christianity is in crisis” by Scott Detrow, Gabriel J. Sánchez, and Sarah Handel, published August 8, 2023
Article: “Eric Holder Revises Famous Michelle Obama Quote: ‘When They Go Low, We Kick Them’” by Breanna Edwards, published October 3, 2020
Article: “Donald Trump Jr. Rejects Christianity’s ‘Turn the Other Cheek’ Teaching” by Ed Kilgore, published December 27, 2021
Article: “Trump’s 4 indictments, ranked by the stakes” by Li Zhou and Andrew Prokop, published August 15, 2023
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:7-8
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Scripture: Ephesians 6:11-12
Article: “Partisan invective gets us nowhere” by Michael Doyle, published February 14, 2017
Scripture: Galatians 3:13-15
Scripture: Mark 10:42-45
Article: “What does ‘woke’ mean and why are some conservatives using it?” by Kiara Alfonseca, published January 20, 2023
Definition: Woke (Slang)
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
Editorial: “A Christian Response In The Face Of Injustice” by Jacqueline C. Rivers, published June 12, 2020
Editorial: “The uncomfortable truth about Christian involvement in the Capitol riots” by Jared Stacey, published June 13, 2022
Scripture references are from the New Living Translation. Their links go to bible.com, courtesy of YouVersion, makers of the Bible App available for iOS and Android devices.
