Christians and Politics: A 2021 Election Special
By: Shafer Parker
Don Hutchinson, B.A., J.D., D. Min., author and speaker, has served with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and currently heads Ansero Services, an organization that promotes religious freedom in Canada and around the world. The following is an edited excerpt from his most recent book, Church in Society: First-Century Citizenship Lessons for Twenty-First-Century Christians, Word Alive Press.
Christians and Politics
Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
—Matthew 22:21
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…
—1 Timothy 2:1–3
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
—1 Peter 2:13–17
Politics, whether in church leadership or national governance, is supposed to be about people. Serving the people. Looking out for the best interests of all constituents. But too often it’s more about power than governance. Part of our sinful nature is the desire to be the greatest by having dominance over others rather than by serving them (Matthew 20:25–28; Luke 22:24–27).
In Under Siege, I shared the following story about one encounter with the power of politics.
Shortly after joining The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s public policy team in October 2006, I made a visit to Ottawa. My first day was rushed, but that evening I decided to take a walk up to Parliament Hill in the brisk October air. As I walked north on Metcalfe Street, the Peace Tower grew into the Centre Block and then the West and East Blocks, with the Langevin Block on my right. I touched a cornerstone of the Langevin Block, the office building which houses the Prime Minister’s office, before heading across the street. I could sense the power of the place and it was intoxicating. I had a problem.
There is a path that circles the Parliamentary precinct and makes its way to the Supreme Court of Canada building. I walked around that path, including the Court, three times that night, praying that the power of the place would not draw me in. I didn’t return to my hotel room until I felt a sense of peace.
“Politics, whether in church leadership or national governance, is supposed to be about people. Serving the people. Looking out for the best interests of all constituents. But too often it’s more about power than governance. ”
Politics is supposed to be about people, and governance can be about serving people or about wielding power over them. Surprisingly, the two can coexist. I know Members of Parliament who delight in serving their constituents. But for many, the seduction of power, particularly the desire to hold on to power, may interfere with a servant’s heart.
I think that’s why Paul told Timothy to pray for people who hold political power. And I think that underlies Peter telling us to honour the emperor. More than submission, we honour the emperor (empress, king, queen, president, prime minister, or anyone in the vocation of politics) by praying for him or her.
On one occasion, I attended a luncheon where Members of Parliament, senators, and diplomats were present. Hosted by a Christian organization, it was understood there would be a prayer prior to the meal.
An opposition MP had been invited to pray, and his prayer moved me to the core of my being. His respectful, conversational style revealed that he had a mature prayer life. The part of his prayer that was for Canada’s government, notably the Prime Minister, evidenced that this MP prayed regularly in the spirit of Paul’s letter to Timothy and Peter’s injunction to the Church. There was no animosity or negativity. This man had a clear grasp of love for his political enemy (Matthew 5:43–48), expressed a biblical understanding of submission to authority (1 Peter 2:13–17), and evidenced humility before God in his prayer (1 Timothy 2:1–3).
Our engagement as Christian citizens in the world of politics begins with prayer. Humble submission before God enables us to understand the place of Caesar and our role as citizens, so that we might rightfully render what belongs to him, as well as keep our own hearts from being stained by serving a political master ahead of our divine Master.
Jesus and Paul engaged the power dynamic of first-century politics through submission to the authority of the state and state representatives. Following His arrest, Jesus stood silent before the Roman governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, until Pilate asked,
“You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”
—John 19:10–11
Jesus submitted to the authority of the state.
Paul had one advantage over Jesus. Jesus was a Jew from Nazareth, without rights of citizenship in the Roman Empire. But Paul was a citizen. When jailed in Jerusalem, tried by the Jewish council and arrested by the Romans, Paul appealed for state protection based on his citizenship. Subsequently, Paul languished in prison in Caesarea for two years awaiting a decision from his trial before Felix, governor of Judaea (Acts 24). When a new governor, Porcius Festus, was appointed, Paul was heard out and offered a new trial, to be held in Jerusalem. Paul responded that his citizenship required his trial be held before a Roman tribunal. He appealed to be tried by Caesar (Acts 25:6–12).
Paul submitted to the authority of the state.
Those of us who live in a democracy have citizenship opportunities unavailable to first-century Romans or tyrannical twenty-first-century nations like Iran, China, or North Korea. Even in restrictive Christian nations, however, Christians can and do pray as our forefathers and mothers did in the first century, instructed by New Testament words written for a persecuted Church.
For the Christian citizen, the next step in political involvement is informed prayer. The next chapter will be about Christian citizenship and the media, but for now, let’s discuss how we may pray with knowledge and wisdom.
When reading Paul’s letters I enjoy his specific prayers and directed comments for Christians in different cities. Paul took pains to understand the situation in each community for which he was praying, and to which he was writing.
With no internet, no social media, and no newspapers, how did Paul know what required prayer? He relied on letters and visits from his friends in the various Church communities.
Wise use of today’s rapid communications systems can better inform our prayers for government leaders everywhere. But exercise common sense. All news media comes with a bias. Before you pray, and especially before you speak, confirm that your sources are telling you the truth. Nevertheless, being informed about neighbourhood issues, municipal issues, provincial issues, national issues, and international issues is easier, and more important, than some might think. Informed prayer is in itself a form of action.
As we enter the public square it is also helpful to have an informed theological opinion about the things that are Caesar’s to help shape our active participation. The Bible does not tell us how to vote, but it does have plenty to say about the interaction between Church and state in what Dutch theologian/politician Abraham Kuyper called the public sphere.
“Our engagement as Christian citizens in the world of politics begins with prayer. Humble submission before God enables us to understand the place of Caesar and our role as citizens, so that we might rightfully render what belongs to him.”
Sphere theology regards the Church and the state as being separate but overlapping spheres, or kingdoms, in the life of the citizen. The things that are God’s are rendered to Him in the kingdom of God. Although God rules over all, He provides for human government that is responsible to look out for the best interests of all citizens, not just people of faith. When we participate in the public sphere on matters of public policy it is important that our contribution be informed by our lives in the sphere of the Church, as well as the spheres of family, education, etc.
In Politics Under God, Canadian political science professor and author John H. Redekop presented this biblically based, practical approach to citizenship:
Christian citizenship is part of Christian discipleship. It is part of living consistently, responsibly, and obediently in a sinful society. While discipleship must never be fused, or confused, with good citizenship, it certainly should transform it just as much as it transforms all other aspects and dimensions of living. The ethical guidelines in our citizenship activities are exactly the same as for all other arenas of our involvement, including business, education, management, labor unions, the various professions, farming, and any other honourable pursuit undertaken by Christians. In politics, as in all other areas of life, Christians practice loving servanthood, and having decided to get involved, do so only to the extent that Christian discipleship permits.
Some ways Christians might exercise our citizenship in the public sphere include:
Follow the work of trusted Christian organizations already active on public policy.
These organizations will usually have a developed biblical rationale posted on their website for each area of public policy on which they are engaged.
You may decide to subscribe to their publications or support their work through prayer and/or financially.
Vote, from an informed perspective, on the issues that are important to you and the Church.
Don’t just follow the herd in partisan alignment.
Assess the issues and candidates from the perspective of your faith beliefs and what is best for the good of others (most political parties and politicians now post their platform online; visit the website and inform yourself).
Share your views with elected representatives.
Old-school letters, phone calls, in-person visits, and email are most effective.
Offer supportive encouragement and constructive criticism, as appropriate.
Try not to be the constant complainer.
Build relationships over coffee, or by attending community events where you can introduce yourself.
Join one or more organizations that represent your faith-informed perspective on the issues and/or in the way they engage the political process.
Join a political party and/or support a worthwhile candidate.
Volunteer for a candidate you support.
Join a local political association and get involved in shaping policy.
Become a candidate.
Inevitably, when consideration of political involvement is being discussed, the question of civil disobedience arises. Because civil disobedience may be fraught with real danger, I dedicated detailed comments to it in Under Siege:
At this point, I think it’s appropriate to reflect on some basic principles of civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is generally considered to be the publicly expressed refusal to obey certain laws, regulations, or commands of the government in order to draw attention and seek change to government policy that is considered morally offensive. It is not usually a rejection of the political system as a whole.
The biblical principle of submission to government authorities is repeatedly stated in the New Testament (Matthew 22:20–22, Romans 13:1–7, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13–14). It is reflected in Western democracy’s expectation that citizens will generally adhere to the laws of the land—from traffic laws to the prohibition on taking the life of another person. This social contract is crucial for us to live together as a society.
But what if laws are inherently evil or harmful to our common good? And how does one assess whether laws are good or evil?
For Christians in Canada, our first public effort in dealing with a harmful law is to seek to amend or replace it using democratic means. Similarly, we approach unjust laws in other nations first through diplomatic means. Civil disobedience may be justified when all peaceful options have been tried and failed.
There is a biblical basis for using civil disobedience, particularly to oppose policies that dehumanize, oppress, or brutalize people. Here are some examples of civil disobedience found in Scripture:
the Hebrew midwives saved the lives of Hebrew boys whom Pharaoh had ordered to be put to death at birth (Exodus 1:15–22, the story of Moses’ birth);
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey Nebuchadnezzar’s law requiring all citizens to worship a golden statue (Daniel 3, the fiery furnace story);
Daniel, one of three presidents in Babylon, refused to pray only to King Darius for a period of thirty days (Daniel 6, the lion’s den story);
the wise men disobeyed Herod’s directive to return and tell him where Jesus was born, having had it revealed to them that Herod intended to kill the child (Matthew 2:1–12); and
the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37), in which Jesus endorsed breaking the religious law to help someone in dire need.
Redekop identifies seven considerations for a Christian community before engaging in civil disobedience. I pose them here as questions:
Has the religious community made a careful and balanced assessment of the situation, including the risks of potential harm that might result from the civil disobedience?
Is what’s at stake of great moral seriousness?
Has a specific goal been clearly identified that is indisputably of benefit to the common good?
Have all other reasonable steps been exhausted?
Will the behaviour planned to challenge the policy in question still demonstrate a general respect for government and the principles of lawful behaviour?
Will only suitable means, that make sense to non-sympathetic observers, be used?
Are participants prepared to accept the consequences for breaking the law that may be imposed as a result of their civil disobedience?
“The Bible does not tell us how to vote, but it does have plenty to say about the interaction between Church and state.”
Two well-known first-century Christian leaders engaged in principled civil disobedience. When ordered to stop teaching about Jesus, Peter and John stated, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). This was not a general statement authorizing Christians to engage in civil disobedience when preaching is restricted by government. It was the resolution of a genuine dilemma between obedience to God for the good of others and obedience to authorities. These men were numbered among the disciples when Jesus told them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). They had been in prison for doing so and were prepared to go back in order to obey Jesus’ directive to them.
Civil disobedience usually takes one of two peaceful forms. Direct civil disobedience is an actual violation of an offending law, usually to bring it to consideration by the public, government, and the courts. Indirect civil disobedience is an act, such as a rally or a march that may break traffic laws or municipal permit bylaws, intended to draw attention to the offending law.
As Christians, our participation in politics starts and ends with prayer. Pray for government officials. Pray about our participation. Pray as we participate. And then pray for government officials, that those in positions of authority would look out for the best interests of all citizens, including Christian citizens. Prayer does make a difference.
For most Christians, we are challenged in our earthly citizenship to move from prayer to participatory action in the political process, action which covers the range from informed voting to governance as an elected officeholder. Let us do so with upward-mindedness, forward-thinking, and the well-being of all in mind, for in their well-being we will find our well-being (Jeremiah 29:4–7).
Three Takeaways
Politicians are people, made in the image of God like you and me, and the healthy participation of people makes politics work.
Pray for our political leaders; federal, provincial (or state), and municipal.
Civil obedience is the first option for the Christian citizen. Civil disobedience is the last.