What are you against?

What are you against? It is a rather unusual question. The more common query is “What (or who) are you for?” Whether it be a sports team (Go Bucks!), a flavor of Mountain Dew in their Dewmocracy contest, a religion, or a politician, most people ask the question in the positive form.

Yet, I have become more sensitive to the numerous ways in which people express their feelings, and questions, in the negative form. People are less and less ‘for’ something, and more and more ‘against’ something.

In fact, I was at a church service recently, and was thoroughly surprised (as were many) at the blatantly political message from the pulpit.

I should mention at the start, however, that this congregation is unlike many in the broader Christian world. Generally, this congregation, and its fellowship in general, tends to be very Republican and conservative, but is also careful to keep politics and in most cases even patriotism “separate and apart” from the message of the Good News. I have never seen a flag of any kind on the grounds of any of the churches of this fellowship, much less in the building (Praise God!). Also, this congregation attempts to train and involve as many Christian men as are willing. So, at least one time a month, the elders allow and encourage men of the congregation to sign up to give the sermon. On this night, a young man that I respect greatly was giving the lesson.

He started his sermon most excellently about talking about priorities. Whose priorities are we seeking, our priorities or God’s? He gave several good biblical illustrations of people who sought their own priorities, much to their detriment. He then shifted gears a bit to remind us that this process of seeking God’s priorities extends to politics and the election process. He started by stating, “I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. It’s none of my business.” So far, so good. “But as a Christian, I can tell you who you should not vote for… Nobody who calls themselves a Christian can vote for Obama.” What!? His main reason was Obama’s support for abortion rights. While it is terribly predictable that abortion would be the most important issue for him (and the church in general), I was struck at how he was so blatantly against something, and not for something.

I am for life. In fact, I’m so pro-life that I have serious reservations (not blanket prohibitions) about the death penalty and use of violence to accomplish military and nationalistic goals. I am morally sickened at the rampant use of abortion.

But I am for other things too. In fact, my whole life perspective, my whole theology, is succinctly summarized by Micah 6:8 – “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I am for justice and mercy and walking humbly with God. I am about loving people.

In this election, as it always is now a days, I have to wisely seek God’s priorities, because no one individual appears to be “for” the same things my limited understanding leads me to believe are God’s priorities. If I vote for “X”, he will likely align with my views on this one issue. And if I vote for “Y”, he will likely align with my views on these two issues. How do I value these in the process of deciding to vote?

If churches, and really all faith communities, want to address moral issues in the political realm, they should really be addressing how to be wise in making evaluations about what really matters. Which is a higher priority for God? Stopping abortion, or addressing the economic oppression and moral decay that leads to abortion? How should we view personal responsibility in terms of the Christian perspective? What does it mean to oppress the poor, and how does that happen today? These are the types of questions that I wish faith communities would wrestle with.

I wish people would be more worried about what they are for, than what they are against.