the sense of outmost) expression of spiritual and moral order, and “there is
power in ultimates.” It is in their application to life on the civil plane that the
potential of heavenly truths to strengthen a civilization is realized. It is the
spiritual and moral quality of a society that elevates it and makes it “a city set
upon a hill” and a beacon to the world. (Matthew 5:14)
Our natural lives and worldly activities are like a stage on which the
spiritual and moral issues of life are enacted. A stage, and sometimes a
battlefield, because behind every earthly conflict there is a spiritual conflict of
good and evil, truth and falsity.
A political contest is a kind of war. The very word “campaign” is a military
term, and candidates talk constantly about “fighting” (for us, of course, they
say). America is embroiled in a “culture war” and the divide on all three levels
of life – spiritual, moral and civil – has gotten very deep. This is reflected in the
increasing rancor of our political battles, and no smooth talk about “uniting
us” can paper over that fact.
But there are two extremes we must avoid. One is cynicism and the thought
that politics is just a dirty business of little significance and unworthy of our
attention. There have always been hypocrites and charlatans in every field
of human endeavor, but to discount the value and importance of the whole
field of politics is a mistake. The use itself is noble and it has the potential for
great good when it is driven by high motives and serious discussion of vital
principles of government and how to apply them.
The opposite error is to expect too much from government and to
worship political leaders as demigods or even saviors. People who do this may
unwittingly become part of an infernal alliance with a politician who has a
messiah complex.
We need to be able to say: We have a Savior, and do not look to any
politician or government program for our salvation. We have a religion, and
no ideology can take its place. We have hope for heaven, and do not expect a
government-mandated paradise on earth.
An election is part of the on-going process of building and repairing our
civil order, but in the end: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain
who build it.” (Psalm 127:1)
(WEO)
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