May We Call A Truce?

Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines “truce” as: “a suspension of fighting especially of considerable duration by agreement of opposing forces” or a “respite especially from a disagreeable or painful state or action.”

I believe a truce is needed between liberals and conservatives in our nation. By this I do not mean that we should stop discussing our differences or even stating the reasons why each side believes its approach is best. By truce I mean this: Let’s stop lobbing grenades toward each other and assuming the worst about our opponents. Let’s tone down the rhetoric and actually listen to one another. We most likely will still disagree on many issues, but we will do so with a more accurate view of one another, rather than the straw men that have been erected.

In order to help with this, I plan on posting several times in this blog to clarify what conservatism in its best form believes. Obviously, you can go on line and on social media and find those who classify themselves as “conservative” and will disagree with what I write. Yet, as we interact with each other, we need to interact with the best versions of the other side, not the worst and perhaps most extreme.

Speaking of interacting with the best versions, I truly believe that proponents of the best versions of liberalism believe their stances are what is best for the country in general and people (especially those who are struggling) in particular. I do not agree with them, but I do not doubt the intentions of most liberals.

Now, let me state similarly that most conservatives (myself included) believe what we do because we also are convinced our views are best for the country in general and individuals (especially those who are struggling) in particular. Now, this assertion may seem shocking to you. After all, “Doesn’t everyone know that conservatives don’t really care about the little guy, but only about large corporations and the rich?” Certainly, most conservatives do not think those who are wealthy and corporations are necessarily evil. However, they care very much about individuals and those who are in poverty.

Let me prove my point. To begin, most studies I have tracked with over the past two decades have shown that on average those who are conservatives volunteer more (including volunteering to help those in need) and also give more to charity than those who are liberals. Now, please do not misunderstand me. My point is not to say that conservatives care and liberals are heartless, or that liberals do not give to charity or volunteer. Both would be false assertions. My point in bringing this up is to help us see that the popular narrative that conservatives don’t care is simply not accurate.  

But to continue to prove my point, I want to address some specific issues. I realize that I may convince very few liberals of conservatism. My goal is actually humbler than that. It is to show that what we believe—especially about economic theory, how to help the poor, and how to bring about a prosperous country—is not only a better explanation for how things work than liberalism, but also will end up better helping the “little guy.” This is one of the reasons I believe what I do.

So, next time I post on this blog I will talk about the concept of a safety net for the poor. We will discover that the best forms of conservatism believe in a safety net. However, we certainly approach it much differently than liberalism. In fact, I will argue that the liberal approach will eventually (but unintentionally!) lead to destroying the safety net. Conservativism, consistently put into practice, will actually preserve and strengthen the safety net for the poor.

Stayed tuned for details…  

"Humble Politics"

The first week of April I had the privilege of heading to Indiana with Pastor Lige Reed to attend The Gospel Coalition conference at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Getting back to my state-of-origin, I not only enjoyed seeing family, but Lige and I also benefited from some great plenary and break-out session speakers.

I have to say, though, one of the highlights for me was to have Senator Ben Sasse inserted as a last minute plenary speaker. Though I appreciated his entire talk, one part of it will forever stick in my mind: Senator Sasse believes that we should all have a “humble politics.”

There is no question he believes that how a government functions and the decisions made by leaders in a governing body are important. Otherwise, he would not have become Nebraska’s junior senator. Yet, according to Sasse, regardless of which aisle one finds themselves on, many politicians and political junkies put too much faith in the political process. To have a humble politics is to grasp its significance, but not to make it more important than it is.

Senator Sasse is in good company with this view. The Bible agrees.

In Psalm 33:16-17 we read: “The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. ¹⁷ The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.”  In no way is the psalmist arguing that whether or not the king has an army is of no importance. Nor is he suggesting that the soldier’s training is of no consequence (after all, see Psalm 18:32-34). What he is putting forth is that these instruments and structures, though important, make horrible gods—objects of ultimate trust.

The same outlook can go a long way toward preparing us to be involved in the public square in a manner that is constructive and not destructive. If we understand that who is leading, how leaders are leading, and what decisions they are making are significant, then we will be motivated to be informed, to vote, and perhaps even run for office. Yet, to realize these are not our ultimate hope (our god), will go a long way toward:

·         Helping us love those who disagree with us.

·         Engage civilly those on the other side of the aisle.

·         Be willing to critique those for whom we voted when they are wrong.

·         Forgive those who have belittled and taken pot shots at us simply because they do not believe we are right on the issues.

·         Refrain from being devastated when our political heroes let us down (which they inevitably will) and/or when their “correct stances” fail to bring about the outcomes we desired.

“Humble politics:” It’s not only a need we have currently, but would also make a great title for a book written by a Nebraska Senator!

The Trauma Of Voting Republican: No Blind Allegiance To The GOP!

I have few memories that come from any earlier period of my life than those of going with my parents to political fund-raising meals. In fact, even to this day it is hard for me to eat sausage and pancakes without thinking of some of those breakfasts as a young child. My parents set a great example for us of the importance of voting, being involved, and impacting the public square (even though that phrase was not used then).

Some of you might ask, “To which party did your parents give such allegiance and hard work?” Well, let’s just say you would see a lot of donkeys and no elephants!  I have often said that the R word was hardly even allowed in our house. Of course, that is a little exaggerated, but not by much. I was taught that Democrats were for the little guy and Republicans were for the rich through their “trickle-down economics.”

So, with a background like that, you can imagine how traumatic it was for me to pull the proverbial R lever for the first time! It truly was. Now, you might ask, “Tom, why would you have ever made such a change?” Let me explain.

I can remember having conversations with my mom in the late seventies (high school) and early eighties (college) over the dilemma of politics. You see, even by then, just a few short years after the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, the Democrat party was leaning heavily in that direction. Especially once I was in college, I remember opining to my mom, “Somehow, I wish we could take the social conservatism of the Republicans and the Democrats’ compassion and put them together!” This view of the Democrat party was so much part of the air I breathed, along with a mistrust for Republicans, that I vowed to stay a Democrat while at Liberty Baptist College (now Liberty University), an institution where the vast majority of students, faculty, and administration voted Republican (and most likely still do).

Yet, especially while I was there and thinking more and more about my view of the world, I had clearly become a social conservative and, here’s the shocker, my views on what compassion is and how economics work began to change.

By the time I graduated from college and seminary, I had not only gone through the trauma of voting Republican for the first time, but was voting in that direction more and more. Somewhere along the line, probably after moving to Nebraska in 1988, I registered as a Republican for the first time, although I always remained committed to voting for the person (regardless of the party affiliation).

And, as I have progressed in my views during the years on what is truly compassionate, how economics work, what kind of governmental approach helps people flourish best, and which leaders come the closest to supporting a view of marriage, family, and culture that will benefit people the most and promote the welfare of our towns, cities, and country, I have been convinced that, for the most part, Republicans come far closer to my views than Democrats. By the way, though I have progressed in my thinking, I am still convinced the Democrats left me (and many people like me). I did not so much leave them. But that is a discussion for another time!

Why bring all this up?  It is not to make the point that you cannot be a Democrat or vote for a Democrat, if you are a Christian. I have vehemently disagreed with people through the years that have said that or something similar!  The reason I bring all this up is that I want to use my background as a starting point for clearing up a misunderstanding I have heard—first many years ago—and that now has been revived, especially among young adults who identify as Christians.

Over the past few months some bloggers have suggested that evangelical Christians have a blind allegiance to the Republican party, as if most evangelical Christians are not thoughtful and are simply following what their pastors do, parents did, and just assume, “Gosh, we have to vote this way.” Now, to a small degree, I get the misunderstanding. After all, the majority of evangelicals have voted Republican at least the past three decades (in this recent election 81% voted for Trump/Pence)—but it is precisely for the reasons I just mentioned. And for most of that time, I have heard from those same Evangelicals we cannot be “in the back pocket” of the GOP, which is right!  In many ways, evangelical Christians have bent over backwards to prove we are not “in their back pocket” and to demonstrate that we are not one-sided. (And by the way, we do need to bend over backwards to make sure we communicate you do not have to be a Democrat or Republican to be a Christian or part of our churches!)

The idea that evangelical Christians blindly tie themselves to the Republican party is just simply not true! Clearly, I personally know very few evangelical Christians who are Republicans first and Christians second. And, I do not personally know any Christians who supported Trump, when there was still a choice (though there were some national figures who did). Obviously, most eventually made that choice—as the least of two evils.

Why do I think this discussion is important?  Because when we overreact and accuse each other of things that simply are not accurate, it does not help us engage in civil, Christian, and helpful dialogue about things which are important and about which we disagree. I was reminded in this election that there are some Christians who disagree with me on which candidate and/or which party platform comes closest to supporting a Christian worldview and thus would benefit others most. Though I can disagree with those who took a different position than myself, I don’t want to ascribe ill intent to them, nor do I want to ascribe to them something that is not true.

It is time we return to a place where we can land somewhere between not being able to hear and discuss an opinion we disagree with and jumping immediately to name calling or violence.

So, for those who disagree with me, I’d love to discuss the details without some thinking automatically that because I am conservative I am a racist, not compassionate, or don’t think through my political positions and have a blind allegiance to the GOP. Though I do not necessarily doubt the intentions and good will of progressives (regardless of party affiliation), I do not believe they hold to the positions that will benefit our country or help it flourish. I am a social and fiscal conservative precisely because I love others, precisely because I am for true social justice, and precisely because I want to advocate for those policies that will do the most good and least damage.

If this old gray-haired pastor-theologian is wrong, please show me where and I will listen and dialogue with you.

Pray, Pray, Pray, Love, Love, Love

Over the past few days I have been thinking about this blog post and decided I would write it today no matter who won the election. So, I am writing today with the reality that Donald Trump is the president elect, rather than Hillary Clinton. All that I say to follow would also fit if the results had been different.

The question I want to take up is this, “Now that the election is over, what now?”

One way to answer this is to say there are three key words:  Pray, pray, pray! Or, I could say there are three key words:  Love, love, love!  Please indulge me to use both sets.

For those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, especially, we must continue with what should be our motivation for being involved in the public square:  Love, love, love. It is love for God and for others that should move us to advocate for the policies we do, to engage in the discussions we do, and when we disagree, to do so in a way we do not vilify the other person.

And one of the great ways we are involved by love is to pray for God’s wisdom, pray for those who are running, pray for each other, pray for the welfare of our towns, villages, cities, and nation. (I am not excluding the rest of the world, but my focus in this post is what we do as U.S. citizens toward each other)

So, given this two-part manifesto, let me suggest some ways we should love and pray…

Please love your fellow Christians who voted differently than you, pray for them, and pray that you can release any resentment you have toward them and any hurt you have experienced by them.

Please pray especially for those whom you know (Christian and not) who voted for Hillary Clinton and today are feeling awful and maybe even angry or depressed.

Please love those who voted differently than you enough to give them the benefit of the doubt that they believe the way they do because they think it’s best for the country.

Please love each other in the future enough that we can disagree without vilifying each other. To do so is a Christian virtue. This is something largely lost in our current society. Please pray that we can change this in the future and that Christ followers accomplish this by rallying around solid biblical wisdom and truth.

Please, if you voted for Donald Trump, do not gloat to those who voted for Hillary Clinton. If you are a follower of Christ and are motivated to be involved in the public square by love, also remember that the way forward is to react and move forward in love.

Please, if you voted for Hillary Clinton, do not be caustic or angry with Trump voters (see the previous point for the rest).

Please pray for our country and each other—that Christians especially can set the tone by showing to the rest of the country (and the world) how we can love each other in spite of our differences.

Please pray for Donald Trump and Mike Pence and their future cabinet, that God will work for the welfare of our towns, villages, states, and country, and in a manner that honors God. Pray that God will give them wisdom and that he will move them to act in integrity. Pray that they will keep their promises.

Please pray for Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff, who must feel awful today!  Most likely much of their identity had been tied up in a win. Many of their constituents will blame them and the days ahead will be hard. Pray for God’s grace and peace.

Please pray for each other that the passion and energy to discuss things, be involved, and to pray will continue on among the Church. May this passion that has been seen the past few months only be the beginning and not the end.

Please pray that our future elections will not digress into the gutter as this one did.

Please, Church, be the conscience and prophetic voice for the Trump administration. Be thankful and praise them when they do well. Hold them accountable when they don’t.

Please, Jesus followers, remember John 13:34-35 (NLT): “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

And finally, as we interact with each other now and in the future, by all  means please pray for one another that we can love one another by living out Ephesians 4:29-32 (NLT): “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”