{"id":8745,"date":"2020-11-02T14:58:15","date_gmt":"2020-11-02T20:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thedisciplemaker.org\/?p=8745"},"modified":"2022-09-06T16:21:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T16:21:54","slug":"love-your-neighbor-politically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2020\/11\/love-your-neighbor-politically\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Your Neighbor Politically"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size:9px\"><em>This post originally appeared on <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.brianjenningsblog.com\/author\/brianjenningsbloggmail-com\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"http:\/\/www.brianjenningsblog.com\/author\/brianjenningsbloggmail-com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the author&#8217;s website<\/a><\/strong> and was based upon a series of 10 short videos. You can view them <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/m.facebook.com\/brianjenningswriting\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/m.facebook.com\/brianjenningswriting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all the <a href=\"\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2022\/09\/the-churchs-call-to-embody-and-extend-a-kingdom-politic\/\">political <\/a>polarization, hateful rhetoric, stereotyping, and name-calling, I have a question: \u201cWhat if we took Jesus\u2019 teachings seriously enough to love our neighbors \u2013 even politically?\u201d Here are ten ways you can begin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>1. Judge your own<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s always easier to point out the flaws of others than our own, but it alienates those others and prevents us from honestly addressing our own shortcomings. The Bible says that it\u2019s not the business of the church to judge those outside the church. Instead, we are to hold accountable those inside the church (I Cor. 5). This principle can be wisely applied to other areas of life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Should a company spend more time critiquing themselves or their competitors?<br><br>Should a family spend more time evaluating themselves or their neighbors?<br><br>Should a team spend more time training themselves or questioning their opponents\u2019 fitness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Republicans and Democrats focused their critiques on their own party, they\u2019d lower the national temperature, make space for conversations, and they\u2019d actually make their own party better. I\u2019ve noticed that when someone tries to do this, they are often attacked by members of their own party. Any self-critique is viewed as mutiny. So it\u2019s going to take some courage to do this, but isn\u2019t it the right thing to do? Doesn\u2019t it offer hope to the process? Doesn\u2019t it show love to your neighbor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>2. Engage before you contend<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Information has never been easier to attain, yet more difficult to discern. If we aren\u2019t careful, we\u2019ll \u201cspeak-up\u201d before we\u2019ve done our homework, wounding people in the process. Jon Huggins and Jer Swigart, in their great book, offer a solution: engage before you contend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider the refugee crisis. Before you start contending (voicing opinions, posting on social media, or supporting a cause), first engage with people intimately involved. Take a former refugee out for lunch. Talk to someone who has experience with border-control. Read first-hand stories. Pray about the situation. And then, just maybe, you\u2019ll be ready to contend in a way that loves your neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>3 &amp; 4. Be quick to listen and slow to speak<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>James 1:9 says, \u201cBe quick to listen and slow to speak.\u201d You can\u2019t be both quick to listen and quick to speak. Something has to give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are quick to speak, you offend people quickly. But also when you are quick to speak, you lock-in your thoughts and they become extremely hard to change. When you say something out loud or post something online, you are very apt to defend your position or candidate, even when it\u2019s ludicrous to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-coblocks-click-to-tweet\"><p class=\"wp-block-coblocks-click-to-tweet__text\">What if we took Jesus\u2019 teachings seriously enough to love our neighbors \u2013 even politically?<\/p><a class=\"wp-block-coblocks-click-to-tweet__twitter-btn has-button-color\" style=\"background-color:#d19f2a\" href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?&amp;text=What%20if%20we%20took%20Jesus%E2%80%99%20teachings%20seriously%20enough%20to%20love%20our%20neighbors%20%E2%80%93%20even%20politically%3F&amp;url=https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/love-your-neighbor-politically\/&amp;via=NavPress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tweet<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>People who are quick to listen are teachable, wise, and humble. Listeners are good friends because they communicate that you matter. Don\u2019t you love being around good listeners?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of God\u2019s great gifts to us is that he listens. So when you listen to others, you are acting in a Godly way and taking part in his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So please, love your neighbor by being quick to listen and slow to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>5. Be slow to anger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If we could just step back for a moment, we\u2019d see how often politicians and the media are playing us. They are luring us to fear and anger, which they hope will turn into votes and clicks. Don\u2019t take the bait!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, God created you to sometimes have the emotion of anger, but he also commanded you to rid yourself of bitterness, rage, and anger (Eph. 4:31). If anger is consuming you or if you can\u2019t be informed without being consumed, you need to take a break from politics, or the news, or both. \u201cIf your right eye causes you to sin,\u201d Jesus said, \u201ccast it out.\u201d And if your right-winged or left-winged media causes you to sin, cast it out. It\u2019s better for you to trash your news-media than for your anger to trash you. Your neighbors need you to be a person of love, joy, and peace, not consumed by anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>6. Follow the rulebook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tony Evans illustrates how politics exposes our true allegiances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>\u201c[Football] officials are unique in that their ultimate commitment is not to the teams on the field, nor do they align themselves with any of the other agendas. The officials\u2019 obligations do not lie with those who are in the battle, nor even with those watching it take place. Their commitment, as well as their allegiance, belongs to an entirely different kingdom called the NFL office. This kingdom supersedes, overrules, and sits above all others. From the League office, the officials have been given a book. They have their own book with the governances, guidelines, rules, and regulations by which they are to manage the events on the field. While both teams are constantly pulling at the officials to choose a side, call penalties, or endorse plays, the team of officials must, in spite of personal preferences or emotions, rule according to its kingdom\u2019s book.\u201d[i]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>If you love God and love your neighbor, you\u2019ll never trade the Kingdom rulebook for a partisan playbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>7. Quit yelling at the opposite extremes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Extremists exist on the far edges of both political parties. Unfortunately, they garner a majority of the attention. Those on the right are quick to mock the crazy leftists, while those on the left are mocking the crazy right-wingers. We\u2019re left with two sides talking over each other, building and burning straw men, and stereotyping their opponents with worst-case examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s now gotten to the point that people are creating false news stories and memes with the hopes of riling up their base. People are losing their minds over things that don\u2019t even exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are reasonable voices of those who disagree with you. Find them and listen, ignoring the inflammatory invitations of the extremists. By doing so, you\u2019ll love your neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>8. Reject simple answers to complex issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Simple problems need simple solutions. When we can do simple things, that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, when we offer overly-simple, clich\u00e9-soaked, ignorance-induced solutions to complex issues, it belittles the harsh realities of people wrapped in those issues. Worse yet, it poses danger to their very lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the reasons our country has failed in the area of immigration reform is that it\u2019s complex. Too many politicians on both sides keep making simple statements, which lead them to oppose honest attempts to tackle the nuances involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Religious leaders once asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes. They asked the question because the issue was soaked in cultural and religious complexity. If Jesus would\u2019ve answered a simple yes or no, he would\u2019ve plunged right into their trap. However, he chose a third option, affirming Caesar\u2019s finite political authority but God\u2019s infinite authority. Jesus showed discernment in his response without sacrificing conviction.[ii]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other day I heard a lady say, \u201cI don\u2019t know a lot about that issue, so I\u2019m trying to learn.\u201d How refreshing! She rejected a simple answer and postured herself to learn. She loved her neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>9. Acknowledge how faith traditions affect political positions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you assume that people with differing political positions care less about God or the Bible than you do? Can you imagine the possibility that there are people who love God with all their hearts, but hold vastly differing viewpoints?<br>Your faith background has probably shaped your political leanings more than you know. The book <em>Five Views on Church and Politics<\/em>[iii], which details how faith traditions shape one\u2019s political views, expanded my horizons. For instance, the Anabaptist view (which is on one end of the spectrum) believes any political allegiance jeopardizes one\u2019s spiritual purity, so political involvement should be avoided (that\u2019s a rough sketch view that merits more than I can give it here). Now, we may not agree with that view, but I think a good student of the Bible could comprehend how someone could reasonably come to some of their conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-coblocks-click-to-tweet\"><p class=\"wp-block-coblocks-click-to-tweet__text\">Do you assume that people with differing political positions care less about God or the Bible than you do? Can you imagine the possibility that there are people who love God with all their hearts, but hold vastly differing viewpoints?<\/p><a class=\"wp-block-coblocks-click-to-tweet__twitter-btn has-button-color\" style=\"background-color:#d19f2a\" href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?&amp;text=Do%20you%20assume%20that%20people%20with%20differing%20political%20positions%20care%20less%20about%20God%20or%20the%20Bible%20than%20you%20do%3F%20Can%20you%20imagine%20the%20possibility%20that%20there%20are%20people%20who%20love%20God%20with%20all%20their%20hearts%2C%20but%20hold%20vastly%20differing%20viewpoints%3F&amp;url=https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/love-your-neighbor-politically\/&amp;via=NavPress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tweet<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When I read through the book, I found myself agreeing with aspects of all of the different faith traditions. Some faith groups have veered one or another based upon emphasizing certain points of Scripture over another. Others have simply experienced radically different life events, which shaped the focus of their study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding faith backgrounds promotes dialogue, grace, and neighborliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>10. Love your enemy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Either you believe Jesus\u2019 command to love our enemies or you don\u2019t. Either you believe it is good, right, true, and applicable to every situation, or you don\u2019t. I hope you believe it and obey it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world speaks of tolerance, but we aren\u2019t called to simply tolerate people. We\u2019re called to love them wholeheartedly, beyond on what they deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if you replaced political zingers with unbridled, practical, prayerful acts of kindness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve committed to loving all people, can you align yourself with any politician or party who wants you to hate another person or group of people? That\u2019s a question with which we all need to wrestle. It will leave us praying for discernment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think Jesus knew that if we wouldn\u2019t love our enemies, we wouldn\u2019t love our neighbors either. Eventually, your enemy will move next door, or your neighbor will start voting like your political enemy. Jesus\u2019 command is to love all.<br>When you and I begin to love our enemies, we\u2019ll build bridges for people to befriend others and God \u2013 who is Love. And when we begin to love our political enemies, we\u2019ll learn to love our political neighbors too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If these words have resonated with you, please read my book, <strong><em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mOFEIG\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mOFEIG\" target=\"_blank\">Dancing in No Man\u2019s Land<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. When I started writing over 5 years ago, I had no idea how much worse things would get. I\u2019m dismayed by the polarization and hate, but I\u2019m also in awe of God\u2019s timing with this book. I\u2019m praying it helps you learn to pursue both truth and peace. Reading it is a practical step you can take to love God and others, even in our hostile environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-author\"><figure class=\"wp-block-coblocks-author__avatar\"><img alt=\"Brian Jennings\" class=\"wp-block-coblocks-author__avatar-img\" src=\"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/wp-content\/uploads\/JENNINGS-Author-Photo-bordered.png\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-author__content\"><span class=\"wp-block-coblocks-author__name\">Brian Jennings<\/span><p class=\"wp-block-coblocks-author__biography\">You&#8217;ve been reading with <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/tag\/brian-jennings\/\" target=\"_blank\">Brian Jennings<\/a><\/strong>. Read a free chapter from his book <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mOFEIG\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mOFEIG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dancing in No Man&#8217;s Land<\/a><\/strong><\/em> to learn how to move with peace and truth in a hostile world. Brian is the lead minister of Highland Park Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds a bachelor of theology. He has written for <em>What\u2019s in the Bible<\/em>, Christian Standard, and the Lookout, as well as his own blog\u2014brianjenningsblog.com. Brian serves on the board of trustees for Ozark Christian College and for Blackbox International, which provides aftercare for boys who are victims of sex trafficking.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/tag\/brian-jennings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">More from Brian<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:9px\"><br><strong>Sources<\/strong><br>[i] Tony Evans, <em>Kingdom Man: Every Man\u2019s Destiny, Every Woman\u2019s Dream <\/em>(Carol Stream, IL: Focus on the Family, 2012).<br>[ii] I dive deep into this account in chapter 10 of my book, <em>Dancing in No Man\u2019s Land.<\/em><br>[iii] Amy E. Black and Stanley N. Gundry, eds., <em>Five Views on the Church and Politics <\/em>(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015). For an excellent summary, listen to the Not So Black and White podcast entitled Five Views on Christianity and Politics (Episode 18).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post originally appeared on the author&#8217;s website and was based upon a series of 10 short videos. You can view them here. With all the political polarization, hateful rhetoric, stereotyping, and name-calling, I have a question: \u201cWhat if we &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Love Your Neighbor Politically\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2020\/11\/love-your-neighbor-politically\/#more-8745\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Love Your Neighbor Politically<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":8747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[86,144,175,338,372,386,397],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Love Your Neighbor Politically - The Disciplemaker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navpress.com\/sites\/thedisciplemaker\/2020\/11\/love-your-neighbor-politically\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Love Your Neighbor Politically - The Disciplemaker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This post originally appeared on the author&#8217;s website and was based upon a series of 10 short videos. 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