ABC’s Nightline recently ran a report about the the focus on religion in the upcoming 2008 elections for President. They said, “…in no modern-day election has the Lord played so prominent and consistent a role popping up on the trail..”

[ABC News]

God is popping up everywhere when it comes to the ‘08 race, but I think that the candidates approaching it all wrong. It’s all about pandering (so they think) to the voters. Though, I think that they’re about 4-8 years behind. What worked in the last election, isn’t playing in this one.

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqtwLlrSssY]

McLaren, who’s no stranger to controversy, is here at a press conference for Media Matters and basically asserting that the “Religious Right” (politically) as we knew it was dead. He goes to say the topics that matter to Christians have changed, but the ideology of the Religious Right haven’t changed with them.

And I think you can already see it with Pat Robertson giving his endorsement of Rudy Giuliani. Robertson hasn’t been relevant since the 80’s (and some may argue he was never relevant). There’s this old political ideology that says if you get the endorsement of a certain religious leader it will make a difference in the race. But come on. Pat Robertson? How more out of touch can we be?

I’ll go out on a limb and say this: Jesus didn’t come to save America. Jesus is not an American. Jesus doesn’t give a rip about American politics (sorry, Dobson). This not his Kingdom and he could care less. What does Jesus care about? You. He cares about you. He cares about your heart. He cares about the meek, poor and suffering.

Can politics matter to you if you’re a Christian? Sure. It’s just not the topics they’re throwing out to Christians.

So what issues matter to you as a Christian?

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NtgjNLNpao]

[ht: Beim]

We can see the walk of a Christian in two ways:

1) Jesus died for us and the world is depraved. Someday when I die, I’ll escape this evil world and be with God for eternity. With my heart set on heaven, I will live a holy life and make sure others do so too.

2) Jesus died for us and the Kingdom is here and now. It is our job to ransom, rescue and love the lost and hurting people. We are compelled to live a life of hope and compassion that shows Christ’s love to the broken people of this world.

One way has our eyes set far beyond this world and beyond the horizon. The other has it’s eyes set on the suffering here and now. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We forget this. Or omit this. Or over look this. The call of Christ and his Kingdom is a here and now one.

And our view on this colors which path we walk.

This is in response to a blog I wrote last week about living the Kingdom life. While that is all true, the analogy isn’t complete. So I’m here to add another story.

There is an idea that exists; a grand sweeping idea that lives, moves, and breathes. It has the power to give life and take it. It possesses the hope of something more. Then there is us. We are a people living without a home. We are strangers and aliens in a land foreign to us. Because we don’t belong, the world around us hates us. But we live with the idea buried deep within our hearts. The idea gives us a hope that we have a home somewhere. We know it exists, but only within our hearts. It has the power to change us and those around us; even those that hate us – especially those that hate us!

The idea that I speak of is Christ. He was much, much more than simply a man. He was also a divine being that loved us beyond anything we can comprehend. This idea, this love, is what is meant to fuel us as Christians. But something has been lost.

“The weakness of so many modern Christians is that they feel too much at home in the world. In their effort to achieve restful “adjustment” to unregenerate society they have lost their pilgrim character and become an essential part of the very moral order against which they are sent to protest. The world recognizes them and accepts them for what they are. And this is the saddest thing that can be said about them. They are not lonely, but neither are they saints.”

AW Tozer

We are apart of a Kingdom, yes, but we are pilgrims who are living far from our home. We must not lose our identity and become something we are not. But we are also not called to shrink away and hide. We are called to missional living.

“Jesus comes with saving love for the world. He creates the church as a missional community to join Him in His mission of saving the world. He invites me to be part of the community to experience His saving love and participate in it.”

Brian McLaren

We are meant to live open (Missional) and yet also closed existences (Kingdom). Just as Christ was both man and God, we must remember that we are called to be both Missional (man) and Kingdom (God) minded. At times they may seem to contradict each other, but it is that tension that keeps us in check.

Wikipedia [in describing Missional livng] puts it best, “All believers are missionaries who are sent to be a blessing to the culture around them through a lifestyle that mimics God’s kingdom here on earth.”

Once upon a time, in a land of boredom and drudgery, exciting news spread: “There is going to be a race! And all who run this race will grow strong and they’ll never be bored again!” Exciting news like this had not been heard for many a year, for people experienced little adventure in this ho-hum land, beyond attending committee meetings, waiting in lines, sorting socks, and watching sitcom reruns. 

Excitement grew as the day of the race drew near. Thousands gathered in the appointed town, at the appointed place. Most came to observe, skeptical about the news. “It’s too good to be true,” they said. “It’s just a silly rumor started by some teenaged troublemakers. But let’s stick around and see what happens anyway.”  

Others could not resist the invitation, arriving in their running shorts and shoes. As they waited for the appointed time, they stretched and jogged in place and chattered among themselves with nervous excitement. At the appointed timethey gathered at the starting line, heard the gun go off, and knew that it was time to run. Then something very curious happened. The runners took a step or two or three across the starting line, and then abruptly stopped. One man fell to his knees, crying, “I have crossed the starting line! This is the happiest day of my life!” He repeated this again and again, and even began singing a song about how happy this day was for him. Another woman started jumping for joy. “Yes!” she shouted, raising her fist in the air. “I am a race-runner! I am finally a race-runner!” She ran around jumping and dancing, getting and giving high fives to others who shared her joy at being in the race. 

Several people formed a circle and prayed, quietly thanking God for the privilege of crossing the starting line, and thanking God that they were not like the skeptics who didn’t come dressed for the race. 

An hour passed, and two. Spectators began muttering; some laughed. “So what do they think this race is?” they said. “Two or three strides, then a celebration? And why do they feel superior to us? They’re treating the starting line as if itwere a finish line. They’ve completely missed the point.” A few more minutes of this silliness passed. “You know,” a spectator said to the person next to her, “if they’re not going to run the race, maybe we should.” “Why not? It’s getting boring watching them hang around just beyond the starting line. I’ve had enough boredom for one life.” 

Others heard them, and soon many were kicking off their dress shoes, slipping out of their jackets, throwing all this unneeded clothing on the grass. And they ran—past the praying huddles and past the crying individuals and past the jumping high-fivers. And they found hope and joy in every step, and they grew stronger with every mile and hill. To their surprise, the path never ended—because in this race, there was no finish line. So they were never bored again.