September 5, 2024
In an address to the House of Commons in 1947, Winston Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms.” As he often could do, Churchill seems to rightly capture the odd mix of gratitude and frustration we can all feel about the way countries like ours can feel at times.
We seem to be in an especially divisive time of political rancor. I had coffee recently with a person in their 90s from our church and I asked them, “Do you ever remember it being this bad?” “No,” they said sadly.
Some of us can become obsessed with politics to the point where we see ourselves engaged in an epic struggle of good vs. evil; we truly believe that if the other “side” wins a victory this November, our country’s survival could be at stake. Others plop their heads in the sand like (by the way, ostriches don’t really do that) and we simply avoid it altogether.
I have a confession to make to you all: over the years I have encouraged you to turn off 24/7 cable news channels and I stand by my beliefs that all of them (regardless of their political persuasions) are abomination unto the Lord. BUT: I have sometimes heard people make comments in response to things I’ve said that have given me the impression that some feel I have been advocating a kind of detachment from all things political. So, I want to make this clear: I am not saying that we Christians should be unconcerned with politics; I have been saying that we Christians should never be controlled by politics.
So, how should Christians think about politics, and, more importantly, how do we handle relationships when we have such sharp ideological differences? Well, some may think me foolhardy for even attempting this, but I would like to explore these questions together. On Sunday afternoons (beginning on September 15), I’d like to work through a curriculum called The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics. This is not a curriculum that advocates for one party over the other or even says that THIS is what you are supposed to believe about THAT issue. Instead, this is how, despite how we may vote, we need to radically re-center our lives around the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It’s risky to talk politics, but I have faith in you all. And if these kinds of conversations make you uncomfortable, don’t come! But if you are burnt out on politics, if you don’t like how cynical you’ve become, or if you are disheartened at the level of discourse in our world, then this group is for you. There is a workbook for everyone, so I need to know how many will be joining me and you can register by clicking here: The After Party.
Here is the schedule we will follow:
The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics
Sundays, 4:00 PM, Fellowship Hall B
- September 15 – Session 1: Invited to the Party
- September 22 – Session 2: The Disciple
- September 29 – Session 3: The Combatant
- October 6 – Session 4: The Exhausted
- October 13 – No After Party meeting
- October 20 – Session 5: The Cynic
- October 27 – No After Party meeting
- November 3 – Session 6: The True After Party
