{"id":498,"date":"2012-07-07T08:18:39","date_gmt":"2012-07-07T14:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/paperbacktheology\/?p=498"},"modified":"2012-07-07T08:18:39","modified_gmt":"2012-07-07T14:18:39","slug":"missional-politics-for-the-local-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/paperbacktheology\/2012\/07\/missional-politics-for-the-local-church.html","title":{"rendered":"Missional Politics for the Local Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I have a new article up at The Huffington Post this morning. I\u2019m trying to think about what missional politics would look like. Here\u2019s an excerpt:<\/p>\n

Christians believe that God is on a mission to make the world right, and that God actually has the power to do it. This power is displayed in weakness. God\u2019s mode of redeeming the way we relate to each other, ourselves, God and the world around us is through the self-sacrificial love of Jesus as it is embraced by and experienced among his followers. The fundamental tenet of this mission is this:Jesus has chosen to give the world to the powerless<\/em>. We join with Jesus when we join with the powerless. We ignore the way of Jesus when we join with those who play the games of fear and blaming.<\/p>\n

The most basic Christian political belief is that true power comes through the path of self-denial, love and service to others (including the same special commitment Jesus displayed toward the most vulnerable among us). This is among the most powerful ways human beings can participate in the mission of God.<\/p>\n

The best way for Christians to work to bring freedom, justice and peace to any society may not actually be primarily through direct involvement in politics, but through the life of the church instead. We affect much more change to a society when we find ways to simply embody Jesus in our common life.<\/p>\n

You want to change the world? Participate in the mission of God: Feed the hungry. Care for the homeless. Clothe the naked. Love your enemies. Be committed to your marriage and your friendships. Care for your children. Return violence with peace. Take care of the alien living among you. You want to change the world? Join with a church community that is doing its best to be good news to the vulnerable and the weak. That is what\u00a0Christian<\/em> politics should be.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can read the rest of the article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have a new article up at The Huffington Post this morning. I\u2019m trying to think about what missional politics would look like. Here\u2019s an excerpt: Christians believe that God is on a mission to make the world right, and that God actually has the power to do it. This power is displayed in weakness. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1118,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9,10,11,12,6],"class_list":["post-498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-huffington-post","tag-missional-politics","tag-public-jesus","tag-stanley-hauerwas","tag-tim-suttle"],"yoast_head":"\nMissional Politics for the Local Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I have a new article up at The Huffington Post this morning. I'm trying to think about what missional politics would look like. 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