For example, on the Christian right “being a Christian” means holding certain political views—pro-gun ownership, pro-life, pro-capitalism, pro-capital punishment, against entitlements, and against affirmative action. On the Christian left “being a Christian” also means holding certain political views—pro-gun control, pro-choice, pro-socialism, against capital punishment, supportive of entitlements, and more favorable toward affirmative action.
To be sure, it's not so neat and tidy, but you get the point. The Christian "political witness" means espousing and pursuing specific policies. Being a Christian means taking a particular stance on a specific issue. And to be sure, I hold opinions about which policies I feel are closer to the witness of Jesus.
Still, it’s worth noting how little Scripture has to say about many of our modern policy debates. The reason is obvious: we’re separated from the biblical authors by two millennia. Jesus and Paul would surely lament gun violence, but it’s hard to squeeze a Second Amendment opinion out of either. And what about capitalism versus socialism? Both care deeply about justice and the poor, but perhaps they’d be less concerned with a nation’s chosen system than with whether people are treated fairly and the vulnerable are cared for.
As we know, providing Biblical warrant for specific policy stances can be tenuous, thin, and sketchy. What about affirmative action? Capital punishment? Vaccine mandates? Immigration policy? And yet, so much effort is devoted toward precisely this task, on both the right and the left. Consequently, Scripture is torn in two as Christians on the right and left engage in political and ideological combat.
In the midst of all this conflict, however, Scripture is clear in its call to virtue. This is what makes the moral witness of Scripture so universal and timeless. No matter when or where we're living, no matter the nation state or economic system, Christian character remains a constant. And I wonder, as I said at the top, if this is what's gone wrong with Christian political engagement. By focusing so much on policy issues we've lost track of virtue. Christians are now defined by how they vote rather than by the fruit of the Spirit. We're no longer identified as being or focused upon becoming loving, joyful, peace-filled, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. Rather, we've been pulled into debating issues about which the Bible has little to say and might not even care about.
What if we were to refocus upon virtue? Might that have a salutary effect upon our politics? Might it lower the temperature on our debates? Allow us to see each other as beloved siblings in the family of God rather than dehumanized enemies?
Perhaps this has been the devil's greatest trick. Christians have exchanged virtue for a vote.
