Tag Archives: Politics

Who (or what) am I going to trample?

I recently read what was presented as an African proverb:

When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.

(I’ve also seen it as “it is the grass that suffers”; the idea is the same)

Like most proverbs, this can be applied a number of different ways. Where I’ve tried to take it to heart is to remember that so often when I go to battle, somebody (or something) suffers. There is collateral damage.

So I’m trying to do better at choosing my battles. Is this Facebook argument worth the cost? Am I willing to damage friendships, reduce ministry effectiveness, expend valuable time over that political argument or that doctrinal discussion? Is that change at church important enough to cause others to leave our congregation?

Sometimes, of course, the answer is yes. Many times, however, I have to admit that even if I “win” the argument, I won’t accomplish much of anything that is positive. And the grass gets trampled.

I may have to print that one out and keep it above my computer.

photo by dailyprinciples on Pixabay

Sharing with those who celebrate the election results

one-step These past few days I’ve been talking about how to deal with the people around us now that the election is past. The idea is to be able to help shift attention from politics to eternal matters. Our goal is to be used by God to help others move closer to an imitation of Jesus; I’m focusing my attention this week on non-believers, but many of the same principles are helpful in our conversations with believers.

I mentioned last week that before speaking we need to listen. That’s a pretty good general rule in life, but it’s especially true when discussing evangelism. We spend way too much time focused on what we’re going to say and not enough time being ready to hear what others are saying.

As we approach those who are jubilant about the election, we listen to see what the source of their joy is. Again, this isn’t the time for recrimination nor accusations; that may make you feel better, but it rarely does any good in the long run. Focus on the motives for their happiness, and you’ll often find an open door to talk about God.

Maybe their motivation was a return to traditional values. That invites us to get them to express what they see as traditional values and talk about the source of legitimate morality. Help them see that God is the authority, in every way. Outside of him, no standards have a solid base.

If the driving force for these voters was a desire to return to greatness, get them to define what greatness looks like. If it’s about strength and security, help them to see that only God can give lasting security. If it’s economic concerns, help them to balance temporary and eternal riches. In the end, we want them to see that only God can give greatness.

For many, abortion is the major issue in every election. Life comes from God, as does eternal life. Protection of life, from conception to grave (and beyond) is one of the major values of God’s kingdom; those who value life can come to value the giver of life.

None of these ideas are meant as snappy responses to conversation in an elevator. These are general directions for conversations that will be played out over days and weeks. What we learn from listening to others can shape the direction for future conversations, ones in which we will speak of God and his values.

Our goal for everyone is to move them closer to God. If we can keep that in mind, we will find that evangelism is not as scary as it often seems.

Convictions when no one sees

ballot-box I voted yesterday. And I was sorely tempted to go against my convictions.

I don’t vote in national elections. (I explain some of that in my “Voting” post)

But the race seems somewhat tight in Texas, and there’s one of the candidates that I really don’t want to see win. As I said in the post “Come Out From Among Them And Be Separate,” I don’t see a benefit in voting AGAINST a candidate. Your vote still counts as a FOR vote for the one you chose.

As I was going to vote, I couldn’t help but think that no one would know if I voted or who I voted for. I didn’t really have to go by the things that I say I believe.

Fortunately, conviction won out.

Conviction is a pesky thing.

Everything is politics; but it’s not

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Oxford_Advanced_Learner's_Dictionary_of_Current_English Sometimes when I express a desire to avoid political discussion, people will chastise me by saying, “Everything is politics.” Basically the argument is that everything affecting the “polis,” the city, and its citizens is politics.

I get that and find it to be true at some level. But at its core, it’s a flawed argument. There is something called “politics” that is identifiable. When I choose the “Politics” tab on a news website, I don’t expect to see science news nor sports. I have a neighbor that teaches political science; that doesn’t mean that he teaches the science of everything. There is a specific realm of study within the social sciences that is political science.

The main definition that the Oxford dictionaries website offers is:

The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.

That seems like a definition that we can use. I want to spend a bit of time discussing politics. If you’re unsure what I’m going to be discussing, check this definition.