The Conscience of the Elephant

Who best holds a politician or a political party accountable?

Here is my trigger warning: This is a somewhat political post for followers of Jesus to think critically about how we engage politics as Christians. Please be careful to not jump to conclusions. You might skip this article all together if it makes your blood boil too much.

I made a post on Instagram and Facebook last week in response to a video that played on President Trump’s social media of the Obamas’ faces on monkey’s bodies. You can find plenty of angles on this event on social media. I decided to speak up about it and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the responses I received went like this:

“Stick to the pulpit.”

“Stay in your lane... You have no moral or legal authority in politics and governement.”

“I’m dissapointed in you.”

“John is very stubborn, he never says sorry...”

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

On top of the responses I received was the growing annimosity between my friends and followers that did not know one another. I decided to take it down after consulting with my wife because my explanation I added seemed to help some but made others think I was backing down from my original post. I just didn’t feel it was helpful when I communicated in a way that brought confusion, accusation and more arguements. As my Dad used to say, “it created more heat than light.”

But I want to take a moment to contemplate what is happening in our culture. Now, I am conservative for many reasons and I voted for President Trump. I have primarily supported the Republican party or the GOP (Grand Old Party) which is many of you know is represented by an elephant. I’m thankful for many things Trump and republicans have done for our country and for Christian values while I also have concerns and issues with other things they do. I am pro-life, believe in small goverment, support Israel, support free speech and stand against woke gender ideology. But I also believe the elephant needs a conscience.

I often hear Trump supporters say that President Trump is not “pastor-in-chief” and he is not perfect. But I also notice that as soon as someone makes a public response to a public imperfection, people start to rage. My language sounded too judgemental to Trump supporters and not judgemental enough to never Trumpers. I’m not saying that makes me right by being in the middle of the two. But where is the line that you would speak up when you disagree with someone you have supported? Many people thought I was out of line for posting publicly, but responded publicly to tell me I was out of line. I even had people say to write a letter or handle this privately. But notice they did not write me a private message but they called me out on my public page. Oh, the irony!

Who are the best people at holding somone accountable? Who has the best chance of getting through to someone whose actions and words are being misunderstood? Who can most effectively talk someone back if they have gone “over the line?”

I get that in our republic we vote for a party and our party is kind of like our team or our family. We want to support our team becuase they are “so much better” than the other side. Many people feel at home in their party and they want to support the family from threats and things that can undo the success of the family or team.

I agree with what the late great Bishop Harry Jackson used to say, “we should look at our own political party as a mission field.” Politics is a place to influence our world for positive change and just laws. But our parties are not only a place to influence the world, they are also a place that needs our influence. When Christians are with republicans or democrats, they are not with the church, they are in a place that needs the values of Christ and Scripture to continually reform and influence them.

As one of my other friends tells his children, “don’t look at a politician as your team that you root for at all costs. Look at them as an employee. They work for you. You choose your politician to do certain things for you so do a performance review and hold them accountable for doing their job.”

As a pastor and a Christian, we have been given a place in society to be a prophetic voice. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about the church engaging with government, “The church must continually ask the state whether its action can be justified as legitimate action of the state, i.e. as action which leads to law and order, and not lawlessness and disorder... And if on the other hand, the state is creating an atmosphere of “excessive law and order,” it is the churches job to draw the state’s attention to that too... The church must reject the encroachment of the order of the state precisely because of its better knowledge of the state and of the limitations of its action. The state which endangers the Christian proclamation negates itself (from Bonhoeffer by Eric ).”

I reject the idea that pastors, Christians and churches need to be in politics to use their voice on political issues. As Bonhoeffer said, the church has the best understanding on how the government should be held accountable. Jesus and the prophets of Scripture spoke truth to power many times without being in politics themselves. Taxes, morality, sexuality, race relations and more are not just political but theological and spiritual in nature too.

We might not agree on every political issue but Christians are called to stand against evil. If we see evil or what can be perceived as evil in our own party, we ought to be able to call it out. Afterall, don’t the Christian within the Republican party owe it to the party to function as its conscience? If we won’t hold our own party that we vote for accountable to our values, then who will?

I never want to speak dishonorably about President Trump or democratic leaders. I publicly post and speak about things I have affirmed related to politics as well things I disagree with sometimes. I think the elephant needs a conscience.

When is it appropriate to disagree with public statements or images publicly? Is it our idolizing of a leader that makes us so angry when someone calls for repentance and accountability?

I do need to stay in my lane of preaching the gospel and making disciples. I don’t believe the government or power of the sword ultimately changes the world, but rather the power of the gospel. But should gospel values influence government too if we want a world of peace to spread the gospel (1 Timothy 2)? I think the answer is yes.