A Prayer for American Politics

From Tim Keel’s blog, who got it from J.R. Briggs’ blog: Broken Stained Glass…

Forgive us O Lord: A Prayer for American Politics

Forgive us O Lord, for being divisive rather than working to build unity.

Forgive us O Lord, for striving to be right more than striving to be kind.

Forgive us O Lord, when we desire to be understood more than to understand.

Forgive us O Lord, for placing our hope in a person, a system, a government — rather than in you alone.

Forgive us O Lord, for complaining about politics rather than thanking you for our freedom.

Forgive us O Lord, when we use our mouths — and our email forwards — to tear down "the other."

Forgive us O Lord, for spending more time and energy thinking about the Empire than the kingdom.

Forgive us O Lord for speaking poorly and wishing ill will on another candidate.

Forgive us O Lord, when we are known more for following a party than for following the Risen Christ.

Forgive us O Lord, for claiming that God is only on "our side."

Forgive us O Lord, for claiming and proclaiming that one political
party completely and accurately represents the politics of Jesus.

Forgive us O Lord, when we forget that the heart of the king is in your hands.

Forgive us O Lord, for being more excited to speak to others about our candidate than about our Savior.

Forgive us O Lord, when we think this prayer is for someone else we know and not for ourselves.

Give us grace to treat others with dignity and respect, even in the midst of our differences.

Give us wisdom — not just with what we say and do, but how we say
them and do them — so that we may not represent our political party,
but that we may represent the one who has given us True Life.

Amen.

For more thoughts on prayerfully being a part of the Kingdom and not the Empire read (and pray!) Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw’s "Jesus For President" Litany. 

Ten Commandments of Talking Politics

As part of the Higher Calling Blogs network, I was asked to abide by the Ten Commandments of Talking Politics.  I really don’t like getting into American politics on this blog as an attempt to get to the real political issues of the kingdom and how they affect our daily lives in a holistic way—that we may live quiet and peaceful lives serving our true King.  There are legitimate and necessary reasons for Christians to talk shop when it comes to the American political scene and the media behemoth behing it, so I encourage you all to follow the Ten Commandments of Talking Politics.

1. Do not worship political theories or parties. (You shall have no other gods before me.)
2. Do not worship political figures or images. (You shall not make for yourself an idol.)
3. God is not divinely endorsing your political opinion. (You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God.)
4. Do not use God to prop up your politics. (Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.)
5. Honor your father and mother. (Honor your father and mother.)
6. Don’t be cruel. (You shall not murder.)
7. Be pure. (You shall not commit adultery.)
8. Be honest. (You shall not steal.)
9. Defend the truth and the facts. (You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.)
10. Be prepared to accept the results. (You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.)

Each candidate has made promises that, realistically, neither will fully keep (number 8!).  How do you think each candidate will affect our daily lives as Christians?  Be creative and not an idealogue here.  Comments to the effect of: "Obama will destroy the American economy so we’ll all be homeless and starving" or "McCain will open up eight more fronts in the War on Terror so the women should get used to not having men around after the draft" will be kindly and peacefully rejected.

Leadership Journal Church & Politics Quiz

Liturgy is "the public work," which means that there has to be some political side to the church, or otherwise we are being isolationists.

Leadership Journal has a Church & Politics Quiz.  You take two separate quizzes then merge your scores together on a graph.  You can see mine below, I am a Quiet Critic who leans towards the role of Prophet:

The test makes sense for me anyway, because I resonate most strongly with this quote from Shane Claiborne:

"I want to be an adviser to every politico that asks, and an endorser of no one but Jesus" (Advise Everyone…Endorse No One)

When War Harms Christians Pocketbooks

The New York Times ran an article "For Iraqi Christians, Money Bought Survival" that brings to light the lesser known ways of Christians during the most violent times of the Iraq war: they were persecuted by a special tax Muslims have traditionally placed on Jews and Christians.

"The tax was called a jizya — and that is the name with which the
insurgents chose to cloak extortion, Mafia-style, from Christians.

"Officials say the demands could be hundreds of dollars a month per male
member of a household. In many cases, Christian families drained their
life savings and went into debt to make the payments. Insurgents also
raised money by kidnapping priests. The ransoms, often paid by the
congregations, typically ran as high as $150,000, several priests and
lay Christians said.

"In a paradox, this city, long the seat of
Iraqi Christianity, also became known as the last urban stronghold of
Sunni insurgents. Another, more painful, paradox is that many of Iraq’s
remaining 700,000 Christians paid to save their lives, knowing full
well that the money would be used for bombs and other weapons to kill
others."

One of the reasons the Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was killed is that after the violence decreased in Iraq, he refused to keep on paying.  In an act of bravery, Bishop Rahho opened his cell phone while he was tied up in the back of the getaway car, his kidnappers in the front, and called his congregation to tell them to never pay the ransom, that no more money should go to perpetuating more violence.

Let us pray for our Iraqi brothers and sisters in Christ, who’s population has "fallen to roughly 700,000 today from a prewar estimate of 1.3 million, that they may give glory to God in all things.

For more on the way war harms Christians see When War Harms Christians and When War Harms Christians Continued.

When War Harms Christians Continued

Chuck Colson wrote a very interesting piece on how Iraq is a very difficult place for Christians, yet no one has really stepped up to the plate to do anything about it.

Colson is wise enough to observe that without any direct intervention in the Christian minorities lives "a Christian community that survived invasions by the Persians, Muslims,
Mongols and Ottomans, might not survive the American liberation of
Iraq. They certainly will not survive our indifference."

Remember we are a kingdom, people!  Apathy or indifference is typical of any nation bent on its own interests before a religious minority, but it is not the characteristic of one body, which is Christ.

May we live in such a way that all religious communities are blessed, including those that are most persecuted. 

Jesus for President Live Blog

Novus Lumen has up a live blog of his experience at the Jesus for President Book Tour stop in Minnesota.

For a comprehensive four part review of Jesus for President please read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.