Glendale Church of the Brethren

The National Public Radio program “Speaking of Faith” is being underwritten by the Glendale Church of the Brethren.  The show is broadcast each Sunday at 4pm on 89.3 KPCC Southern California Public Radio.  The following is Pastor John’s reflection on the latest show which can found at http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/

The first face to face meetings with someone you get to know on Eharmoney can be challenging.  The woman I was meeting was attractive, bright, and very involved in her church.   However, when the conversation moved along rather quickly to our political views and she learned  that I was leaning towards Barak Obama she quickly had a shocked look on her face.  She quickly started to interrogate me and to decide if I really had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  For in her world view, being a Democrat (and worse a possible supporter of Obama)  and a Christian were antithetical.   Needless to say, there was no second date.   The difficulty of finding “open minded” Christians who even admit to the possibility that a person can be a Democrat and a faithful Christian leaves me frustrated. 

Let me be clear, in this reflection I am not endorsing any candidate, I believe both major party candidates are qualified to be president.  It is my view that pastors are called to speak to values, challenge assumptions, and encourage their parishioners to make up their own minds about politics.  However, I am speaking out about the perception (as stated in the program) that “…if you are religious then you must be a conservative.”

The Democratic Party, in my view, has better exemplified the teaching of Jesus found in Matthew 25:44-45 (NRSV):

⁴⁴Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

When the woman across the table started quizzing me about my relationship to Jesus, my mind reflected to all the times in my 20 years plus of pastoral ministry that I had ministered to the people talked about in the verses above.  I also began to question the hubris of this woman who had reduced Christianity to a series of propositional statements instead of a faith that calls one to practice “another way of living.”  For Jesus also states in Matthew 7:21 (NRSV)

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

I believe Jesus calls us to love and accept one another and to exemplify our faith through words and deeds.  I am proud to have friends who are of all political persuasions.   It is much healthier, in my opinion, to engage in open, honest, loving dialogues with those who differ from you…it is the best way to grow!   I need to be clear though, whenever we as Christians begin to “judge” one another based on other standards then those found in the New Testament - then we are in danger of diminishing the faith.  The worst case of this is in when I find someone who insists that Barak Obama is a Muslim and not a real Christian.  I find such talk shocking and can only conclude that the prejudice, hatred, and ignorance found in such a statement to be a result of a heart that is far from Jesus.  Obama and McCain have spoke eloquently of their faith and it saddens me to see such bigotry on display.

 At the Glendale Church of the Brethren everyone is welcome, regardless of political affiliation as we raise Christianity above politics and speak of that which unites us as Christians - Glendale Church of the Brethren “Another Way of Living - Continuing the work of Jesus, Peacefully, simply and together.”  Next week we will be looking at the Republican Party and faith. 

You are invited to register on the web site and leave your comments or contact Pastor John personally at pastorjjj@gmail.com or call him at 818 572 3130.