Political Boxes

This being the 4th of July, I suppose it’s as good a day as any to say why I don’t get into politics here at Swimming in the Deep End. Our founding fathers quickly discovered they had some deep differences on many issues, however, this did not stop them from uniting to fight for a common cause.

I have met people that clearly have a close relationship with Jesus that are: “green”, “corporate”, Catholic, Protestant, “Red” and “Blue”, to name just a few of the “boxes” we put people in. Some great people I know think Bush is an immoral liar, others a mistaken blundering idiot, and some, one of our greatest presidents.

In the past, (before I started blogging) I did pen and send some politically oriented apologies, most of them in defense of the “right”. However after a time I realized that when I was defending Republicans I was fighting against issues I cared about…not that I could become a Democrat, I would still have the same problem.

The value of “community” is one of the reasons I have recently shied away from political engagement. For many, these two things: political engagement and their relationship with fellow Christians and Christ, are not in conflict. They have no problem engaging in X controversy, and symultaniously growing closer to Christ, and community. Which is good, I wouldn’t want them to stop; I have to assume that that is where God wants them. However, for me, “community” includes people of many different shades and colors, including “the Left” and “the Right”, and it is in that community that I grow closer to Jesus.

Don’t misunderstand me, I do have convictions and act on them, but unfortunately, if I put my political ideology out front, some people will immediately tune me out, which serves neither of our purposes. I am not suggesting one should compromise their political or theological convictions. However, I am suggesting that there are a few ideas that are more important, and, that quite possibly, something besides “right thinking” could unite us. Could that thing be “right living”?