“Our nation is enveloped in a social and cultural revolution. We are shocked by the potential for anarchy in a land dedicated to democracy and freedom. There are ominous sounds of hate and violence among men and of unbelief and rebellion toward God. These compel Christians to face the social situation and to examine themselves under the judgment of God.”
That statement could have been written last week. But it was written during another tumultuous time characterized by hatred and division. It was the opening words of a statement adopted June 5, 1968, by 73 percent of the messengers to the SBC annual meeting in Houston, Texas. Democrat senator and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy lay dying in a Los Angeles hospital. More than 100 cities were still smoldering from the riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The country was tearing itself apart with racial strife, anger and frustration over the Vietnam War, and with political divisions that were every bit as intractable as they are today.
Two and a half months later, the Democrat National Convention in Chicago would see the International Amphitheater ringed with barbed wire as 10,000 protestors (mainly against the Vietnam War) squared off against approximately 22,000 Chicago police officers and national guardsmen. Violence broke out inside and outside the venue as political rivalries between Hubert Humphrey (President Lyndon Johnson’s vice president and handpicked successor) and the anti-Vietnam War faction (led by Eugene McCarthy) boiled over onto the amphitheater floor. Outside, Chicago police used tear gas and clubs on protestors, turning Lincoln Park into a war zone.
Our view of our own time can become myopic when we neglect to see our time in the context of history. Today, we are once again in a time of racial unrest and tension over a war we are funding but not fighting. People have lost trust in our most cherished institutions, which, in the past, have been at least somewhat of a refuge from the cultural confusion. Intense tribalism dominates our political debates as people look more to winning the latest “gotcha” media moments rather than listening to each other. Working together to solve our problems has become unthinkable because any cooperation with someone on the other side of the aisle makes you an instant political pariah.
The temperature of our cultural engagement is high, and it continues to rise. Courtesy, respect, humility, and a tempered tone in our communication are considered weak and ineffective. Many Christians have embraced the idea that if you want to make a difference, you have to take the gloves off and use whatever tool is handy to win in the rough-and-tumble world of politics. Lying, deceit, exaggeration, anger and vitriol are the new weapons of modern debate.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we must step into our culture with a different attitude. Many Christians have bought into the idea that we can’t win by playing the rules so we must adopt worldly tactics to control the debate. But notice how the Word of God calls us to engage the world: “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:1-2). In Luke 6:27-30, Jesus set forth a radical way of engaging those who hate us: “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
And of course, finally on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus extolled the virtues of meekness, mercy, purity, humility, brokenness over our own sin, and a desire for righteousness. And, of course, Jesus pronounced “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).
Please don’t misunderstand, we are called to be good citizens of this world as well as members of God’s eternal kingdom. We need to be informed, engaged, and actively involved in the political process. We should pray for our leaders and pray for the wisdom to support leaders who will be guided by facts and by faith in God. Today, we have a chance to step into an unsettled world, speak the truth in love, and help shape the tone of our political and cultural discourse. Will we be participants in pushing the culture further toward division and polarization, or will we be peacemakers?