As I write this, America and the rest of the world are dealing with spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Unsurprisingly, some politicians (from both American political parties) are attempting to use the situation to make themselves look good while also trying to make members of the other party look incompetent or evil.
And also to be expected, some people and organizations are trying to use the situation to grab as much attention as possible in order to get clicks and eyeballs.
Again, I see this on both sides of the aisle in American politics, and the various media groups which support one side or the other. As the situation gets more intense, with more deaths, it is certain that the noise will only ramp up efforts to self-promote. The fact that this is a presidential election year guarantees we won’t get a reprieve until at least November — and in all likelihood we simply live in a time when this will continue in perpetuity.
At a moment like this, I feel it’s critical we take a look at how Jesus engaged with politics; because, like most areas of life, he provides a wonderful guideline to healthy living.
Before laying out what the Gospels have to say on this topic, let me give two caveats:
First, many Christians may disagree with my conclusions. Among them, N.T. Wright has a very strong opinion regarding believers and politics, shared in numerous books. He is much, much smarter than I am and agree with almost everything else he writes. So maybe I’m way off base.
Second, I want to briefly speak to how followers of Jesus should engage with the COVID-19 situation: Very simply, we should have and show care, concern, and compassion for the lives and health of our fellow humans. Jesus cared when people were scared or ill. He didn’t use those situations to make political stands. He did criticize those who used religion as an excuse not to care. (See Mark 3:1-6 for an example. And the religious people in that story immediately made it a political issue. Not a good example to follow.)
The easiest way to see Jesus’ approach to politics is by noting how little he talks about it. In the Sermon on the Mount, there’s no section where he rails about the evil of the Roman Empire. In fact, the only mention they receive is in chapter 5 verse 41 where Jesus instructs his listeners to do more than the minimum when required to serve members of the empire. More! And he follows that verse by telling his disciples to love their enemies. It’s not hard to imagine who they had in mind when he said this. The Israelites wanted a revolutionary who would punish the Romans and reestablish Israel as a geopolitical power. Jesus said to love them and be generous to them.
Another booming silence is when the crowd wants to make Jesus King, and he simply walks away from them. They try to turn his ministry into a political movement and Jesus immediately ghosts them.
But let us look at one incredibly important moment which shows us how serious Jesus is about his disinterest in anything political: When Jesus is put on trial before the political leader of Judea, Pontius Pilate. I’m going to incorporate the accounts of both Mark and John, who focus on different moments in this encounter, but who both reinforce Jesus’ manner of interacting with the political structure of his day.
When the elements of Jewish leadership who wanted Jesus dead (there were dissenters, it’s important to recall,) drag Jesus to Pilate after an illegal kangaroo court, Pilate hears their accusations, then wants to hear Jesus’ defense; but he is surprised to find Jesus remains silent.
It’s almost as if Jesus is unconcerned about what a politician thinks of him and feels no need to justify himself. In fact, he’ll say as much in a future exchange.
Pilate attempts to discourage the attempt to kill Jesus. He has Jesus whipped and beaten. He then brings out Jesus in — frankly — a pathetic state in hopes the image of a broken man will be enough. But the crowd screams for more blood. At this point, Pilate learns that Jesus has claimed to be the Son of God, and Pilate — who clearly recognized something was different about Jesus — is terrified.
Let me input the text as John relays it from John 19:8-11, and when you read it, keep in mind Pilate is scared out of his mind. A man who is accustomed to holding power with an iron fist, but is now confronting something completely different than what he has ever faced before.
When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.
This, in my mind, is everything the follower of Jesus needs to know about how to interact with politics. Pilate seems to be raving madly about his power and Jesus dismisses it with a sentence.
When a politician gets behind a microphone, we do well to calmly remember that their authority is quite limited, whether they desire to do good or evil. And like Jesus, we should spend the majority our time and energy and attention on the Kingdom that is eternal rather than any earthly powers which are temporary.
Loving your enemy, living without worry, living free from lust, not treating others as objects…these are some of the directives Jesus gives in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7.) None of those have the least concern about politics…and yet, if we lived them out, would change the face of this world.
Paul, a man with a very aggressive personality, also avoided “getting political” in his ministry. In fact, he wrote, “…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
In other words, if you’re seeking the Kingdom of God in your life, political concerns are a secondary concern, at most. At least this is what I gather from the lives of Jesus and those who follow him as captured in the scriptures.
So I’d encourage you to avoid linking your primary identity to any earthy institution and instead work to make sure your greatest efforts are directly to the Kingdom of God.
And for the sake of the Kingdom, never to let political viewpoints create divisions which the sacrifice of Christ was designed to heal.
In the midst of COVID-19, refuse to get involved in any capacity with the bickering of politicians. Be careful about what articles you read and which posts you share. Ask if that post will encourage or uplift others before you send it.
I’m not going to try to convince anyone that they should completely disengage from politics if they feel it’s an important aspect of life. But I will suggest that we should be careful not to prioritize aspects of our lives to the highest level which Jesus did not seem to prioritize hardly at all.
No matter who you are, and what your viewpoint on political issues, look for ways to share hope to those who are afraid. Look for ways to help those who are in need. Look for ways to heal those who are hurting.
Or as Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”