Simon’s Says
I read the results of a survey the other day – and I confess, since I read it on vacation, I can’t recall the source of the survey – that found the most politically engaged group among the nation’s major Christian denominations is the Episcopal Church, followed closely by our United Church of Christ. And yes, I am quite familiar with the canard that the church should stay out of politics, but even a passing familiarity with the Bible reveals the hollowness of the claim. Old Testament prophets like Isaiah and Amos called out the kings and rulers who both permitted and encouraged oppression and injustice against their own citizens. Elijah condemned Arab for his tacit endorsement of idolatry; and Nathan confronted King David himself for his gross immorality when he essentially murdered Uriah so he could have Uriah’s wife Bathsheba.
Readers of the New Testament will recall Jesus’ contempt for Pilate and Herod and his rejection of their authority. The apostle Paul was jailed for his preaching and public teaching that contravened the Roman rulers. And the entire book of Revelation is a jeremiad (a term coined after the prophet Jeremiah) leveled against the Roman Empire. The word politics itself is derived from the word polis, meaning anything having to do with the civic community. Which means any time you and I are engaged in our community, we are being political.
Looks like folks like Isaiah, Amos, Elijah, Nathan, Jesus, Paul and the writer of Revelation would be quite at home in the United Church of Christ.
Links to Sunday’s bulletin and service are here: