Four Postures for Political Engagement

Today I’m stealing. I’m stealing some great, deep, and substantive insights on the Christians’ approach to political engagement. Maybe, though, maybe I’m not stealing if I give all the credit to whom it is due: the Rev. Dr. Damein Schitter, former pastor at New City Church in Orlando.

Damein, my good buddy, once preached an outstanding message entitled Following Jesus in Politics (1 Peter 2:13-17), that you will find here. Please, take some time and listen to the whole message as I only have the first half summarized for you below.

As you think about your behavior in the coming political season, consider these Four Postures of Christians for Political Engagement. We find these supported in the Bible and expressed by various Christian denominations throughout church history.

1) A FORTIFICATION POSTURE

Goal: Guard the integrity of the faith and the Church against assaults of the world

Threat: The destructive character of the world around us is always pushing in on us

Solution: Fortify ourselves and protect our vulnerable

Strength: Preserve the uniqueness of our witness as it compares to the world, and takes seriously the destructive and idolatrous nature of the world around us

Danger: Our relationship with the world sets things up as an Us vs Them. This turns many non-Christians off off in ways we may not intend. We can tend to withdraw from those we see as sinful, but the enemy of the flesh comes with us; the enemy is within, not “out there.”

2) AN ACCOMODATION POSTURE

Goal: The Church’s fundamental call is to collaborate with the world for the sake of the common good

Threat: Being excluded from society or personal fellowship due to our peculiarity as Christ followers

Solution: We seek common ground with others for the common good

Strength: It takes seriously the call to go into all the world to show the love of Christ

Danger: We are at risk of trading our convictions for success, or even for our own power and influence. The allure of being ‘acceptable’ blinds us, and like a frog slowly heating up on the frying pan, our command of the truth wanes.

3) A DOMINATION POSTURE

Goal: Triumph over the Church’s cultural enemies and put them out of the community

Threat: The values of those that differ from ours, and the tragedy of disorder in people’s lives and the erosion of the community fabric

Solution: Extend the values of the Church and stop, through force, certain activities

Strength: God has called His people to move into the world as His peculiar people bringing about personal salvation and freedom from sinful behavior

Danger: Like the Fortification Posture it sees the world as Us vs Them, but uses human power to bend the will of others. In our zeal to uphold the truth we enter a perceived battlefield where opponents are deemed evil and are to be vanquished. Yet, the Gospel calls us not to dominate, but illuminate through deeds of love, words of grace, acts of mercy.

4) THE INCARNATION POSTURE

Goal: Exiles are sent into the culture, which is not our home, to bear the fullness of the Gospel for the purposes of redemption

Threat: Lost people and a lost world, in both belief and practice, are doomed for destruction

Solution: Go, enter every square inch of society and the world to bring the Gospel

Strength: Proclaim the Gospel in both word and deed in an incarnational manner, and genuinely rejoice in others flourishing.

Danger: Seeking to triumph over neighbors by force, failing to lean into the places of brokenness and hurt, or withdrawing into a separate sub-culture for fear of outsiders. A danger remains in a ‘woe-is-me’ lament mentality. It can lead us to avoid the fullness of God’s redemption and restoration. Finally, we see the call into the world as too hard rather than what it is: a sanctifying journey.

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Phew!

What a great breakdown from Damein. As you read these, can’t you just imagine different churches or episodes in your own life where the different postures have occurred?

Some circumstances necessitate certain postures. Human trafficking needs to be vanquished while pornographic public library books necessitate a different approach.

And smoking, dancing, drinking? Oh, my…what a myriad of approaches we see there.

Damein and I both agree, the Incarnational Posture is the best one. :)