Should Christians care about winning the political argument?

Should Christians care about winning the political argument?  Judging from current events, it seems that large numbers of Christians do care about winning the political war.  And they care a great deal.  But is that a Christ-like concern?  In other words, Did Jesus care about winning the political war?

Some of you will think I have a political agenda behind writing this.  Sorry - not true.  The reality is the issue of "government, religion and God" crosses all party lines.  Having said that, it's incredibly easy to write about Republicans since our current President talks so much about being pro-Christian.  On top of that, people who analyze election results generally credit Evangelical Christians for Trump winning the election. 

And then there are so many Christian leaders who either speak in favor of Trump or at least voting Republican.  Add to that the relative silence when Trump says and does things that appear to be so much different from what the New Testament tells us how we should act, as Christians.

Should Christians care about winning the political argument?

I ask that question, because the subject comes word-for-word from something Trump told reporters.  The excerpt below is from an AP article that appeared on msn.com (sorry, the article is no longer available).  It was titled, Trump blasts 4 congresswomen; crowd roars, 'Send her back!'

Before he left Washington, Trump said he has no regrets about his ongoing spat with the four. Trump told reporters he thinks he's "winning the political argument" and "winning it by a lot."

That political argument he's winning is, of course, the one related to his earlier tweets, as reported in yahoo news, under the title, Trump tells progressive freshman congresswomen to 'go back' to their 'broken and crime infested' countries.

President Trump, in a Sunday Twitter thread, called out Democratic Congresswomen, saying, “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

“So interesting to see ‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run,” Trump tweeted.

“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” his thread continued. “Then come back and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!”

The nativist rhetoric, “go back to your country,” is often used in racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic attacks, including a recent hate crime in New York City last week in which a Hispanic woman was attacked and told, “You’re here taking jobs from Americans.”

Now, let me repeat my opening paragraph.

Should Christians care about winning the political argument?  Judging from current events, it seems that large numbers of Christians do care about winning the political war.  And they care a great deal.  But is that a Christ-like concern?  In other words, Did Jesus care about winning the political war?

Did Jesus care about winning the political war?

I could pull out the quote, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” - and write about that.  But you know what?  As a Christian, you should be well aware of it.  If you're still supporting the kind of hate-filled tweets going out today, that's not going to change your mind.

Truth is, maybe nothing will change your mind.  But I feel like I need to at least try to make you think.  Why?  Because of love.  Because of something Jesus said.

The Greatest Commandment

22:34-40 pp — Mk 12:28-31

Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

But that wasn't enough.  We have issues with who is our neighbor.  We think our neighbors are only the people we like.  And our neighbors especially are not the people we hate.