by John Pavlovitz I am so over being shamed by other Christians for my views on what’s happening in the world and for pushing hard against the bigotry and hatred I see in America.
Really over it.
Friends, my faith is my faith, and it compels me to speak when I do; for equality, justice, compassion, and love. For two decades that always been my work and it’s the work I do now.
The words I share are my spiritual convictions and if those convictions happen to place me in opposition to your particular political views, that is not my responsibility. If what I speak as moral compulsion you take as partisan politics, I can’t do anything about that.
All I can tell you is that this is about far greater things to me than parties or candidates or voting blocks: This is about Life.
The Jesus I see in the Gospels was a loud, opinionated, relentless advocate of people who were marginalized and hurting and forgotten; someone whose words were often offensive to his hearers, especially those with power and comfort and ease.
When he teaches the devout Jews by making a despised, racially mixed Samaritan the merciful hero, was he being political? Yes.
When he announces his life’s work in defense of the poor and oppressed, smack dab in the heart of the Roman Empire’s opulence and power, was he making a political statement? Certainly.
When he calls out the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and their abuse of power was he being political? Absolutely.
Jesus message was surely branded “political”, but his heart was fiercely for Humanity and that is the heart I work hard to hold onto. As best I can it is the place from where I write, speak, work, minister, and live.
I believe fully in the separation of Church and State, but I also believe that a Christian shouldn’t be able to separate their personal faith from their political endeavors. Everything is spiritual and every person is the neighbor I am called to love as myself.
Often when we’re uncomfortable with someone’s views, when those view press up against our own, we brand them “political” because that allows us to feel justified in shutting down conversation and dismissing these people as divisive. In the faith community, we add a layer of existential guilt upon people, as if God is somehow embarrassed if our personal convictions deviate too greatly from the accepted party line. We make them feel badly for the deepest contents of their hearts and that is a tragic thing.
In the history of our planet, good, faithful people have been shamed into silence and have allowed some incredibly horrible things to be done in the name of God, and that’s not something I’m interested in being a part of. If affirming my personal faith causes me to lose friends, that’s going to have to be a wound worth sustaining.
I love all people, and my love for all people makes me despise discrimination against, and phobia of people groups. It’s really that simple.
I want my children to live in a world where America and Christianity are measured by hope and not fear.
I want to depart this place knowing that I said everything my faith burdened me to say.
I want to leave a legacy of boldness for the inherent value of all people.
I’m a follower of Jesus and there really is no other way for me to live. There is no other path to walk.
If you can compartmentalize your faith in a way that it doesn’t touch every area of the life you live, you’re doing better than I am.
I’m going to keep speaking into this world as I feel called because that’s what freedom in America and in Christ mean to me.
And I’m going to do it with joy.
If you’re a person of faith, regardless of where that faith places you politically: pray, reflect, listen, learn—and then speak your truth and don’t apologize for it. This is your greatest calling.
Loving one another well is as spiritual, as political, and as subversive as it gets, friends. Be okay being all of the above. –John Pavlovitz
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