I just came back from papa fest in Illinois, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had in years. I met some other “ordinary radicals.” Learned a lot more about being ordinary and being radical and generally grew from the good nourishment that comes from being with thoughtful brothers and sisters. Got hot. Got sweaty. Danced. Sang. Got dirty. Pooed in pootown. (That’s my disembodied voice in the video–apparently I got cut from the visuals.–I’m not cool enough for poo.) And grew maybe just a little more into the freedom I was made for.
I saw Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw give their presentation that they are giving on their book tour of Jesus for President. They (along with musical guests Jay and Scotty) do a bang-up job. Go see it, if you can.
It really hit a nerve with me. If you read this, you know I have supported Obama, but, honestly, I do it somewhat reluctantly. There are ways that I disagree with him and, honestly, ways I don’t quite trust him, so giving him my vote is a bit awkward for me. I am trying (often faultily) at being a biblical follower of Jesus, and, as such, there are ways that the republican platform is just sickening to me (economic justice, war, race issues, death penalty, humility, etc.) and at the same time I’m not quite at home with my leftist friends, and there are beliefs I have that make my most non-violent, good-natured lefty friends want to kick my butt (abortion, sexual ethics, pluralism/absolute truth, humility, etc.). The fact is that at the end of the day, I don’t have much allegiance to the donkeys or the elephants, but, instead, follow a different king, a slain lamb, and exist in a different kingdom. And the other fact is that, when push comes to shove, even Obama is willing to drop a bomb to defend the best interest of the nation-state and our consumption habit. I can not support that as a Christian. I’ve been radicalized beyond either candidate.
So what do I do? not vote? vote but keep quiet about it? vote and don’t keep quiet but admit that even Obama may end up being against all that I embrace?
Shane and Chris never encourage or discourage anyone to vote and they don’t endorse, but they make a good point. As a believer, voting for any one is, at best, damage control. No one can be our savior. That job has already been filled.
“Christians know that the world did not change on September 11th. It changed in 33 A.D.” -Shane Claiborne
Tags: Christianity, Jesus for President, Obama, ordinary radicals, politics
June 26, 2008 at 6:47 pm
It is difficult to know what to do as Christians living in a putatively Republican state with regard to voting. As Allister McGrath writes, “The assumption of the foundational documents of the Christian church is that Christianity is excluded from the establishment, and thus insulated from the temptations and corruption that power brings in its wake” (The Twilight of Atheism, p. 276). So it does seem that Christianity presupposes a downward mobility, albeit one that can still have a place for political activity, “damage control” as Shane calls it. I, for one, will still vote for Obama, even though I can’t possibly agree with him in every instance.