When Politics Becomes Religion

“Political activity has become obsessed with winning, eclipsing a shared commitment to the common good”.

Lilliana Mason, from her book “Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity”

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.                 Matthew 5:43-47 (Living Bible)

So, think of that quote above from Lilliana Mason, and consider how unfortunately true that statement is. Politics no longer concerns itself with the common good, it is obsessed with winning. For many people, politics has become, or has actually displaced religion. Our compass for what is the right thing becomes the expedient, or winning political strategy, never mind the moral implications, or even what our Christian faith would direct us to do.

We have entered into a type of encounter with others that does not first consider what is the best way to uplift them, especially those who are poor or marginalized. The first question is one of political calculation, and what might be the winning position. We have normalized incivility to the point that cruelty, shaming, name calling, and slander have become the currency of political discourse.  

When politics becomes religion, winning is all that matters. Politics is draped in a type of religious fervor that wants people to believe that it is “saving the culture”. Don’t be fooled my friends, the only one that can save our culture, our anger and isolation from one another, is Jesus, who did not align himself with a political party. Instead, he said that we would not be popular for taking a stand that shows love for others. Popularity, or winning, was not the first consideration of Jesus.

Loving others is.

Prayer: Lord, save us from the myth of political power, Amen