The Hope of Politics

If you are like me, it’s tough most days to find hope in our elected officials.  Quite honestly, neither of the two dominant political parties seem to represent my values and the direction I believe we need to go if we are to live better as a nation and plan for the future.  It’s easy to become cynical, and here I’ve started a church called hope!  Thank goodness for God, for without the Lord I know I’d go nuts.  Most days I am only able to live because of my faith in our Creator and Jesus the Christ who continues to bless me with hope, knowing that God is much bigger than me, my nation, and my limited view of the world, its past, present, and future.

It is my faith that most informs my political leanings and values—believing in a God of compassion and mercy (agape love), peace (shalom), and justice, who is moving our world towards the perfect realization of God’s Kingdom on earth.

Indeed, if one looks to the Hebrew Testament, one can argue that God’s very quality or being is hesed, which is often translated as “steadfast love” or “kindness” or “mercy,” and is always associated with covenantal fidelity.  God will always be faithful in God’s love.  And if God’s being or primary quality is steadfast love, then God’s will is mishpah or “justice”—to make things right and just.

⁶ “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old? ⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” ⁸ He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

 --Micah 6:6-8

Indeed, that last verse, “but to do justice (mishpah), and to love kindness (hesed), and to walk humbly with your God,” informs us that we must not leave love and justice to the Lord, but that our faith calls us out to live the love and create the justice if we are truly to be faithful, all along with a humble, open heart.

Unfortunately, when I look to our elected officials it’s hard to find one that even lives out one of these three tenets: love, justice, or humility!  Perhaps that’s a bit too cynical; I know there are folks out there (some who are even politicians) who are trying to make a difference, and for that I give thanks to God.

Anyway, something happened recently that gives me hope: the defeat of Eric Cantor.  Yes, you’ve probably guessed based on my values that I don’t see eye to eye with the Tea Party.  And if this Dave Brat wins the general election, I would be disappointed.  And despite the rhetoric, the two are pretty similar.

As I see it, both political parties are biased towards the wealthy and corporations.  Yes, both!  And when campaigns spend so much money—millions, billions even, it gives this American much anxiety and doubt about our system of government.  Democracy only works if one maintains a strong middle class, and sometimes it seems like elections are not so much won as bought.

But do you realize that Eric Cantor outspent Dave Brat nearly 25 to 1???  Have you seen the numbers?

Click here to visit the accompanying article.

And here is another from NPR.

This gives me hope for politics because it shows me that democracy can still work, that even despite the gobs and gobs of money spent to influence politics, it still comes down to simple votes.

The ultimate power of democracy is always in the hands of voters.  Unfortunately, folks like me get so disillusioned and cynical about the whole thing that we lose sight of the basic fact about getting out the vote.  And you forget that basic sweat power, of getting everyday folks to get out there and work to get folks to cast their votes, can make all the difference.

It’s sort of like the David and Goliath story which is almost always misunderstood as an underdog who got severely lucky, but is actually about a perceived underdog who knew his enemy, was creative and played to his strengths, and fought in a way that gave him a distinct advantage.  David came to a sword fight, not with a sword, but with a sling he could cast yards away.

And against the Goliath of BIG MONEY, we too can raise up all the “little guys” of men and women who are passionate about the kind of issues that matter.  And this gives me hope.

Ron Trimmer is pastor of Hope United, a new church in Georgetown, Texas. Click here to visit Hope United’s website.