“A person has to be thoroughly disgusted with the way things are to find the motivation to set out on the Christian way. As long as we think that the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquility,
we are not likely to risk the arduous uncertainties of the life of faith. A person has to get
fed up with the ways of the world before he, before she, acquires an appetite for
the world of grace.”—Eugene PetersonThis quote was at the head of The Thinklings yesterday. It is, I think, one of Eugene’s more important insights (which is saying something); grace is truly an acquired taste. I think this is particularly important because it points us a bit beyond Eugene’s own point to its corollary, that it’s as easy to lose that appetite as it is difficult to acquire it; the world is always trying to pull us back into valuing its own ways and solutions as much as it does, and if we aren’t careful, we tend to go along with that pull. Falling back into old habits of mind is easier than holding fast to new ones rigorously developed.That, I think, is why so many Christians who really ought to know better are so wrapped up in politics, because we’ve lapsed back into thinking that the next election will solve the problem (whatever we understand the problem, or problems, to be); we’ve forgotten that the tools of human beings will not accomplish the righteousness of God, and we’ve gotten into the habit of thinking that the work of the kingdom of God depends on electing this or that candidate, or winning a majority for this or that party. It isn’t so. Yes, we need to do politics to the glory of God, just as we’re supposed to do everything else to his glory; yes, God calls people to serve him in the political arena; yes, politics done to the glory of God is kingdom work. But in saying that, we need to remember two things:1) Politics done to the glory of God is conducted in humility, remembering that it’s not about us or what we can accomplish—and that God’s plans and purposes are bigger than what we can see, let alone understand; the plans of God are not to be identified with our own plans and dreams and ideas.2) Politics done to the glory of God is fundamentally different than politics done to the glory of getting re-elected, or of “winning” the issue. Indeed, sometimes the two stand diametrically opposed; when that happens, the desire to win must be set aside.
