Recently, I sped through God's Politics by Jim Wallis over our final retreat. Upon my return, Emily brought to my attention the Call to Renewal Conference held in DC last week. Barak Obama made a powerful speech to reignite an informed discussion on faith and politics, drawing both from the bible and international events. The ramifications will surely be interesting.
Here in Kenya, many politicians profess a believe in Christianity. Yet these same politicains often engage in public deceipt and mass corruption, eating like cancer in their follower's mind. Many Kenyans are either ashamed of these double-talking politicians or just laugh at the hypocrisy. This isn't to say there aren't any good politicians here. It just shows the danger of believing in the gospel and then working in government: there should be some sort of dynamic cohesion, rather than a private/public split, between the two.
I must say I was quite surprised to read that Bush uses the same daily devotional I use, Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest." I think we come to vastly different conclusions each day, and this is exactly my point. An engaged, enlightened discussion of faith and politics brings both morality and practicality to the table, and our public policies need both.
I encourage all of us to re-engage in our faith and how it relates to politics as a form of action. Obama encourages us to go back to our bibles, to be informed internationally, and to make our choices accordingly. Let us humbly step into the discussion of faith and politics, knowing we have a relationship with God as well as God's people.
No comments:
Post a Comment