I'm not much of a political aficionado, but even I have things to say about the latest from the 2008 Presidential campaign. I read the blog of a friend who had posted a link from Frank Schaeffer, son of Francis Schaeffer. Frank no longer considers himself an evangelical, and said that if what Obama's pastor had said was said by a white minister, it would be lauded as an appropriate commentary instead of decried as it was. I think it goes without saying that what Pastor Wright said was inflammatory, and should be no matter who said it. What I take issue with is that it was said from the pulpit. Too often these days, the church has become a mouthpiece for the opinions of the leaders in the church, be they political, social, economic, etc. What happened to Biblical expository? What happened to exegesis? Pastor Wright mentioned Jesus a few times, but, in my opinion, more as a flavoring for an Obama stump speech than as a Gospel-saturated sermon. It makes me ill. Why is Christianity so politicized? I'm all for social justice, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, fighting injustice. But, just like the Israelites of His time, it seems many people today see Jesus and His message as a means to an end, whatever that end may be. People welcomed Him to Jerusalem with open arms on Palm Sunday, thinking He would expel the Romans and restore the Davidic kingship. When He died, no one realized that He had indeed come to bring a new kingdom, but a kingdom much greater and deeper than any earthly realm. Even after His resurrection, people tried to capitalize on His purpose. I think we make the same mistake today. We use Christianity as a political weapon, rather than following our Lord because He is our Lord. It makes me very angry when I see political opinions proclaimed from the pulpit as Gospel. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion; but using the church is wrong. The Bible has many things to say about political, moral, ethical, etc. issues, and we should stand by what it says about such things. However, when people who are supposed to be shepherding the church and showing their people the awesomeness of Christ use their influence to sound like the Op Ed page of the Times, something has gone drastically wrong. I think of Jesus, overturning the money-changers tables in Temple.
Mark 11:17
"And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN.'"
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