A question has been swirling in my mind for the past few months. Recent events in the political sphere have only fueled the flames of that question rather than quelling it. Is it really possible for a Christian to be a politician? I wonder if the two identities can coexist, regardless of which side of the political aisle you are on. I am not asking this question with any political intent, but I do ask it wholeheartedly, especially as our politics have become more divisive (and seem to be getting more vicious).
What is a Christian?
Before answering this question, I think we need to define what a Christian is. Some people believe that if you go to church once a week, pray occasionally, and try to be a good person, you can be a Christian. If that were the criteria, then I think you could be a Christian and a politician. But that’s not the criteria.
To take the name Christian means to represent Christ. You have been born again, and your sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus. To be a Christian means to love Jesus first and foremost, and to represent Him in everything you do and everywhere you go. You strive to follow Jesus in every aspect of your life, and most importantly, to give allegiance to Jesus above all others and above all others. To be His disciple means to accept the call to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him, no matter what the cost.
Taking this as the definition of a Christian, I wonder if it is possible to live like this and still be a politician.
A matter of compromise
Being a politician in our country means having to compromise, regardless of which party you belong to. And I don’t mean the compromises that both parties make to reach an agreement. I mean compromising your values, even your integrity, in order to keep your job and continue to have the support of your party.
When the party line conflicts with what Jesus wants, what do you do? Do you follow the party line or do you follow what Jesus wants? These two things don’t always go together, and this is where we run into a problem.
To emphasize this point, let’s look at recent events. As you know, Donald Trump was recently convicted by a jury of 34 felony counts. This conviction has generated strong emotions and feelings on both sides. Please set those emotions aside for a moment, because that is not the focus of this article.
I just watched an interview with a senator, and the interviewer asked the following question: “Regardless of how you feel about this trial, is it wrong for a former president to have an affair and then pay someone to cover it up?” As Christians, we can be pretty sure the answer to this question is yes. Pay attention to the senator’s answer:
This Senator has frequently asserted and promoted his faith in Jesus. He identifies himself as a Christian, as defined above. However, when answering this particular question, he was unable to give a clear answer. He quickly veered into the politics surrounding the issue and avoided answering. I am sure that if this was not a political scenario and had nothing to do with his job or his desire to keep it, he would have given an honest answer.
I’m not accusing him, I’m just observing, because he’s not the only politician I’ve seen who does this. It happens to people in both parties who profess to be followers of Jesus, too. That’s why I’m asking this question.
Politicians who proclaim to be Christians are likely to be torn between following Christ and loyalty to their political party. This thought got me thinking about the words of Jesus:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold fast to the one and despise the other. No one can serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).
Granted, Jesus was talking about money in this context, but the principle applies everywhere. You can’t serve two masters; you’ll have to choose one or the other. When politicians revert to party lines rather than following Jesus, they are showing which master they serve.
What is more important?
Another reason I ask this question is that we must ask: What role do integrity and reputation play in this matter? Shouldn’t witnessing to Jesus be more important than loyalty to a political party? We answer yes, but it doesn’t seem to be that easy for politicians. We don’t know the underlying pressures that come with holding public office, but surely representing Jesus well should be a top priority?
When I think back to my younger days and how I didn’t represent Christ well, I often wish I could go back and change things. I wonder if politicians who profess to follow Jesus would look back and feel the same way.
My job is to tell the truth no matter what.
The Bible provides examples of people who stood by their faith despite political pressure. I think of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They stood by their faith despite the pressure exerted by their political leaders. Granted, in these instances their lives were at risk, but God intervened to protect them and make their testimony even stronger. Do we have politicians today who have that same level of courage?
If you’re a politician — if you’re running for office — recognize your responsibility to speak truth to power, but also recognize your responsibility to be moral and to be honest. If you’re a Christian, you’re not just representing the people in your district who voted for you; you’re representing Christ.
However, in today’s political climate, to go against the party line will cut your political career short. That is perhaps where the most significant conflict arises. Which do you value more? If your political career is your top priority, you must be loyal to the party line; otherwise, your political career is over. I don’t know how to be faithful to Christ and stay loyal to the party line at the same time. Usually something is sacrificed, and unfortunately, it seems that commitment to Christ is abandoned when it puts a political career at risk.
Perhaps the truth is that Christian politicians need to think more about standing before the Lord one day and worry less about standing before the party. For those who profess faith in Jesus but seek to maintain a presence within the party, it comes back to two masters. Which one will you serve?
Being a politician is complicated enough on its own. Add faith to the mix and it gets even more complicated. Claiming to be a follower of Christ brings with it higher expectations because your behavior has to be different from the behavior of those who are not disciples of Jesus. I’m not saying this is easy, but it’s part of carrying your cross.
So, can Can a Christian become a politician?
As I write this, I think I have found the answer to this question. It may not be possible to be a Christian and a politician. Maybe the political world is so divided that this option no longer exists. If that is the case, I am still waiting for people today to stand up for Jesus, even if it means backlash from within their party. I don’t know if that will ever happen. As I conclude this article, I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so feel free to email me. Whatever your opinion, let’s base it on the Bible and leave politics aside.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/JS Winborne
