“…..while Christ teaches us the value of love over violence, the power of life over death, he never strayed away from necessary conflict. Disciples rebuked, Pharisees chastised, a temple cleared of money changers…these are also pictures of Christ.
Sometimes, a political witness is divisive. We must do our best, as a Body, to reconcile when the political things Christ has called us to do cause tension among believers; but that does not mean we can avoid doing them…..
When we realize that our own foundation as a community of faith is built on the political, it becomes very hard, even impossible, to say “Christians shouldn’t talk about politics.” Everything we’re suggesting — lose your life to save it, follow Christ over and against the powers of the world, be in solidarity with the marginalized, reject wealth and status in favor of the Kingdom — is a political statement. This doesn’t take away from all the other things the Christian journey is about, but it does mean we can’t stay out of politics. Christ was born into and lived through the political, and so must we. We’re called to witness to a new power and a new path for community through that power, after all. Our faith depends on it.”
Mark Lockard, Ministry Matters 2/18/2017