This post is for those white evangelicals out there who are conflicted. They are politically and\u00a0<\/span>theologically<\/span>\u00a0conservative, registered Republicans or Independents, and serious about their civic duties and their faith.<\/span><\/p>\n They are conflicted because they didn\u2019t really like or support Trump, or did so very, very reluctantly. They knew he was the opposite of everything they were told to support in a political candidate, but he did support many policies and views they favored. They didn\u2019t like his tone, his anger, his bullying, his insults, and his general manner of, \u201cgoverning.\u201d And yet, they couldn\u2019t imagine voting for someone other than a Republican.<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019ve watched now as the people around them, whether family, friends, or fellow church-members have fallen into two camps: Those who despise Trump and those who seem to almost worship him. Both sides are <\/span>fairly vocal<\/span>\u00a0about it too. And here they sit in the middle. While they might lean more toward the side that despises Trump, so many of their views in other areas are shared by the people who seem to worship Trump.<\/span><\/p>\n Consequently, they sort of decide to check out and ignore both. They even begin to resent both sides. They become annoyed and bothered by social media posts or in-person conversations regarding the political. A pox on both houses seems to be their current attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n I would like to speak to this group and have them consider two things:<\/span><\/p>\n First<\/span><\/b>, while much of all this has to do with the \u201cpolitical\u201d such is only a surface understanding at best. The true underlying issues are theological, philosophical, and only then political or cultural. For instance, if one is thinking we should be more focused on Jesus, or the Bible, theology, spirituality, or evangelism, one has missed entirely the problem sitting before them.<\/span><\/p>\n Our current moment is one where Jesus, the Bible, theology, spirituality, and evangelism are understood and practiced via the political, rather than visa-versa. But one can only see this if they are engaged and looking for the deeper problems in play.<\/span><\/p>\n I would challenge this representative evangelical to see this whole area as a theological issue and not simply political\u2014it is only made manifest in the political. The evangelical world must figure out whether Trump (or that type) is their future politically, or if a break from that type of politics is in order.<\/span><\/p>\n The only way that question can be addressed is through a deep theological\/philosophical conversation. And don\u2019t think part of that conversation isn\u2019t possible through social media or long distance. It can\u2019t be the only forum for such, but it can certainly be part of it, even if it\u2019s only to educate and spur serious reflection. Social media can be more than just posting pictures of kittens riding on the backs of turtles.<\/span><\/p>\n If one is a mature Christian, and especially if one is a pastor or leader, they simply cannot ignore these issues or decide to check out mentally and emotionally. And these issues are not ultimately partisan or political: <\/span>They are theological<\/span><\/i>. They are right in the pastor\u2019s wheelhouse and to ignore them is to shirk their duty and calling as a Christian leader.<\/span><\/p>\n Second<\/span><\/b>, I\u2019m not much of a social-media\/internet, political, meme person as too many seem manipulative and shallow. However, there is one that makes this point:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cI want my friends to understand that \u2018staying out of politics\u2019 or being \u2018sick of politics\u2019 is privilege in action. Your privilege allows you a non-political existence\u2026you don\u2019t want to get\u00a0<\/em><\/span>political,<\/em>\u00a0you don\u2019t want to fight because your life and safety are not at stake\u2026it\u2019s hard and exhausting to bring up issues of oppression (aka \u2018get political\u2019). The fighting is tiring. I get it. Self-care is essential. But if you find politics annoying and you just want everyone to be nice, please know that people are literally fighting for their lives and safety. You might not see it, but that\u2019s what privilege does.<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Please consider how one\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m sitting this out,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m tired of politics,\u201d looks to the people who suffer from the ramifications of \u201cpolitics\u201d every day of their lives.\u00a0 Is one aware of the number of people who don\u2019t have the luxury of being tired of politics or sitting things out?<\/span><\/p>\n Evangelicals claim to care about their witness and the importance of witnessing. How do they think all those who bore the brunt of the last four years, immigrants, Muslims, black and brown people, Asians, women, non-Christians, the LGBT community, and others feel about that witness when it watched their suffering in silence, from the sidelines? Or perhaps was even complicit in their suffering?<\/span><\/p>\n White people, especially men, especially evangelicals, have lived through a time when they could keep the political world compartmentalized. They could stay above the fray and take the, \u201cboth sides,\u201d approach and act the school yard monitor, when many could not. We lived in a time when while both major political parties had deep philosophical disagreements, they still had some common ground as to what fell in and outside the bounds of reason and ethics.<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The Republican Party has made room for Qanon<\/a>, the Proud Boys<\/a>, white \u201cChristian\u201d nationalists<\/a>, and those who clearly believe violence is a plausible and viable avenue for political change. This is no longer the party of Reagan, Bush, Romney, or McCain. It has morphed into something else, something very dark and destructive.<\/span><\/p>\n Before now, before that metamorphosis, we (white males mostly) were able to ignore politics if we wanted and go about our business. However, there come times when such simply isn\u2019t possible, at least for anyone with a conscience. Two examples would be Europe in the 1930s and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in America.<\/span><\/p>\n In those moments, the challenge was to engage, to be aware and present. Many didn\u2019t, however. We look back and see them as having failed. When the time came, when the moment was darkest, they decided to, \u201csit it out.\u201d And they didn\u2019t want to talk about it at parties or in public. The only ones who hid in those moments, who were annoyed by it all, were the ones not initially threatened. However, they soon learned it would touch them as well, one way or another.<\/span><\/p>\n