2nd Opinion: Political party? Irrelevant question

Posted: 10/27/06

2nd Opinion:
Political party? Irrelevant question

By Taylor Sandlin

It’s political season once again—commercials, road signs, stump speeches.

I remember my first interview with a pastor-search committee during my seminary days. A man asked me, “So, are you a Democrat or a Republican?” I looked out over that group of a dozen people whose political identity I had absolutely no idea about and thought to myself, “This is surely a trap.” I quickly replied, “If I were to become your pastor, my goal would be for you to never find out.” That seemed to satisfy them, although they didn’t offer me the job. My answer, though a little evasive, was born not of convenience, but conviction.

As a pastor, my primary allegiance is to a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36). It’s a kingdom represented by neither the Republican nor Democratic party. Any attempt to combine the kingdom of God with a kingdom of this world does great damage to our message.

Philip Yancey states correctly in his book, The Jesus I Never Knew: “The issues that confront Christians in a secular society must be faced and addressed and legislated, and a democracy gives Christians every right to express themselves. But we dare not invest so much in the kingdom of this world that we neglect our main task of introducing people to a different kind of kingdom, one based solely on God’s grace and forgiveness. … If a century from now all that historians can say about (today’s) evangelicals is that they stood for family values, then we have failed the mission Jesus gave us to accomplish—to communicate God’s reconciling love to sinners.”

Throughout the ages, the possibility of seizing control of the reigns of government for the purposes of the church has stood as a great temptation. But beware: That temptation is always a trap, and far from advancing the kingdom of God, it impedes her advance.

Believe it or not, I want you to pay attention to all the ads, all the signs, all the speeches. Pay attention and vote your conscience. It is important for our country. But it’s important for us to remember that the question, “So, are you a Democrat or a Republican?” will never be asked as a litmus test for membership in our church.

Why not?

Primarily, because such a question is irrelevant for entrance into the kingdom of God.

Taylor Sandlin is pastor of Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo.