The Call Of Unity... Amidst Divided Times Series

The Call of Unity... Amidst Divided Times

Series: Engaging Politics...Together

August 2, 2020 – Brad Bailey

Intro

Good morning to each of you gathering live ...and a warm welcome to those who may engage in the future.

I know that there are so many different circumstances across our households as we navigate life during a pandemic. I thought it might be appreciated if I began with a little humor. I wasn’t sure if that was okay.

I’ll could tell you a coronavirus joke now, but from what I hear...you may have to wait two weeks to see if you got it.

I could tell the joke about the germ? But it’s probably not a good idea...I don’t want to spread it around.

In fact I think the only jokes allowed during quarantine are Inside jokes...so I’ll just skip the jokes.

It’s time to switch to our topic...which is politics.

Today we are going to continue and conclude our short series and focus on “Engaging Politics ...Together.” As I noted previously ... it’s the “together” element that can be hard.

For those of you who may have just returned from a 30 year trip around mars... life here has become intensely polarized and politicized.... more than at any point in our lifetime. If you watch the news... you may wonder what is infecting us more... an actual biological virus or the political animosity that is injected into every issue.

As the positions of each political party have taken up more extreme tenets and tones... being seemingly furthered by one another...it’s led to postures and positions quite different than anyone could have imagined just 5 to 10 years ago.... postures and positions that understandably lead some to believe that the future of our nation is on the line.

It can feel like a civil war as two sides become more entrenched... and every day our media sources can serve like commanders of the troops... to inspire us in the cause. [1]

And in the midst of this ... here we are... gathering around Jesus...with nearly unprecedented polarization at work between us. .....Many believe the current president represents something so morally offensive and dangerous that there is simply no way to have a relationship with those who support him....and many believe that the Democratic Party now represents positions so morally offensive and dangerous that there is simply no way to have a relationship with those who support them.

In such times... when you hear my challenge for us to learn to relate well in divided times... some of you may welcome it as a needed call to tone down the nature of conflict across opposing sides... conflict that can divide family and friends. But some of you may hear what is deemed a well-intended but superficial call along the lines of “let’s all just get along... by playing like nice children.” For someone who feels this is a time to stand up against evil... you may assume that I want to discourage or downplay your convictions.

So let me clarify my intent. Let me clarify the calling at hand. I don’t want to discourage or downplay any healthy convictions.

I don’t believe we have to give up our convictions. Now when I refer to convictions...I am not referring to all the opinions and feelings I have. I am speaking about basic moral convictions...some position or action that that God speaks of as destructive. From those moral convictions we may form political positions about political policy or political figures. We do well to recognize there is a difference between a moral conviction and our political assessment and opinions. It’s the moral conviction that we should see as most fitting to hold.

I believe that there are moral issues... which flow from God has fairly clearly shown to be his design and desire... which don’ t simply align with either political party or persuasion.

It’s that moral dimension that I hope to stay centered in. As a pastor...I want to do my best to consider various moral convictions and God’s call to serve the common good... in shaping perspective on the political sphere. I want to share what I believe are appropriate convictions that cross political lines... in hopes that you can hear that I am not dismissing convictions... I can affirm moral convictions but want to lead us to do so within political diversity.

In the past few years, as each party has become far more defined by certain ideas...I believe there are issues of the common good that each party seems to raise better and some that each party seems less responsive to.

The politically conservative or right side stand well for many values...but I believe need to face the challenges of are God-given moral imperatives regarding the nature of mitigating human greed ... the system that best serves the righteous needs of immigrants... and embracing a more serious responsibility for the planet. (Of course each of those are issues worthy of great debate...but I am simply identifying the general posture.)