Since it's Super Tuesday, I thought it would be appropriate for me to vent a little about politics. Usually I care about more about politics, but this year I've had a hard time getting into it. I guess my perspective has changed in the last few years. Anyway, I'm not writing this because I think I know how you should vote or I'm really excited about a certain candidate; actually, it's the opposite. I have just noticed a few things this year that have made me think.
First, the fact that so many Christians have latched onto Barack Obama's "Change we can believe in" slogan bugs me. (I'm not saying that you shouldn't vote for Obama. If that's where your conscience leads you to vote, then by all means, vote for him.) Change we can believe in. Maybe it's just me, but the change I believe in won't come from a politician. I think this slogan embodies the attitude that many people have. Let's depend on the government to change things. As a Christian, I think it's just wrong for me to buy into this. Because Obama wants to lead the government to help people that as a Christian I should be helping (i.e. the poor, neglected, ect.), it's easy to want to go with it. But real change doesn't come through subsidized housing. Real change comes through gathering a group of people and building a house for a family who needs one. Real change doesn't come through sending money to Washington and letting them try to help people. Real change comes by getting out there and actually helping people. Here's my reasoning behind this: First, Jesus didn't try to change things through politics and if I'm going to follow His example, I think that means following the principles which he set out. Jesus didn't go out and protest for the government to change more water into wine or run for Caesar so he could dictate prayer in schools. He got into the world and helped people. He invested in people so that they would do the same. I understand the church has generally done a bad job of meeting people's physical needs in the past, but this emerging push to do that seems to be swinging to far in many instances. Yes, the Bible says we should help the needy, the widows, the children, but isn't it important that we don't forget to meet there spiritual needs as well? That's something the government can't do. Second, if you want to help people, why would you send your money to the government to do it? When has the government ever been shown to be efficient or prudent with money? I think if churches started to operate how they were intended to, by using their resources to show the love of Christ to the world, more needs would be met than the government could ever dream of meeting. On a side note, is it really charity if you're forced to give?
I don't mean to be just getting down on Obama. I don't really think the problem is with him as it is with us. I think hope and love are contagious, and if I started showing more of them, people could really be changed.
P.S. I think I'm going to vote for Ron Paul in the republican primaries. If you don't know much about him, check this out.
Tip of the hat to that man. Rob Bell had a message "Do You Realize How Far We Are?" from June 3, 2007 where he called Christians out for passing to buck to serve people over to other Christian organizations. Same point you're making.
P.S. I don't have all of Rob Bell's messages and dates memorized. I just happened to have listened to that one a couple of days ago.
Grant--
I agree whole-heartedly with the overall message of your post. But I think that Obama would as well. I see his message for change as a very personal one. Three points in response, with the caveat that I plan to vote for Obama in November:
1. Obama was the guy who turned down big-time law firm jobs after graduating from Harvard law school as the President of the Law Review. Instead, he hit the streets helping poor folks in inner-city Chicago after law school.
2. In terms of "small government" you can't get much smaller than Ron Paul. But I think it's somewhat inaccurate to label Obama as Mr. "big government," with the ref. to "subsidized housing." While he certainly believes that the government can act to solve problems, he has a penchant for free market principles that allow individuals ot choose. See, http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/daniel_koffler/2008/01/substance_not_style.html.
3. I see Jesus as a radically political figure. While his message was one of care and compassion between individuals, he also challenged the religious/political establishment quite often.
4. I guess I lied about the 3 points--here's an interesting article from an ardent pro-lifer and evangelical Christian who supports Obama. See, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/why-im-prolife-and-pro_b_85636.html
Okay--that's all. I know you weren't necessarily slighting Obama per se, but government in general. Still, I wanted to add my thoughts re: potential agreement between your post and Obama's message.