The Gospel of Christ, and political extremism
It is deeply disturbing to me to have witnessed the politicizing of Christianity in this nation. The conjoining of politics and faith have led to a polarization of our nation that has not been seen since just prior to the Civil War. In our having politicized Christianity, we’ve reduced the Gospel of Christ to a battle between political and social issues that have alienated many from the ultimate message of Christ, that we are in need of redemption, and that repentance and conversion of heart are to become the priority of each and every one of us.
By insisting that we are still a Christian nation, we’ve allowed a polarization to take place that has pushed Christianity to the brink, having linked values, and moral teachings that are based on the Gospels, while the world around us has become jaded, even hostile, to whatever Christians have to say. Thus, the primary message of the Gospel is dismissed before people can even be brought through the door of our churches.
Today’s youth are leaving Christianity in droves, as has been demonstrated in the demographics of America’s “Bible Belt”. The number of young people, even in the conservative South, who are giving birth out of wedlock, or having abortions, has skyrocketed. The support of civil marriage for same sex partners has increased dramatically. These moral issues are of course a concern for Christians, but our acceptance of the moral standards set forth in the Scriptures, are received by us, not as law, but as a result of our personal encounter with Christ. Legislative action ignores the fact that Christ changes the heart, and a society that is to be transformed, must see this transformation take place in the hearts of its people. For we Christians to foist our beliefs upon the nation, only creates resentment, and Christophobia.
Society must be transformed, but it can not be done by force of law. It must be done by bringing Christ to the center of our national scene. This can only be done when Christian love and charity rule, and when the nation can see in it’s Christian peoples, an honesty of heart, and a authentic witness to Christ that is not based on angry polarization that contributes nothing but distrust and disunity.
Chuck Colson, who was one of President Nixon’s Watergate people, and who, during his incarceration in prison, converted to Christ, said: “We made a big mistake in the ’80s by politicizing the Gospel … We [thought] that we could solve the deteriorating moral state of our culture by electing good guys. That’s nonsense. Now people are kind of realizing it was a mistake.”
Change must begin with us, not with our society. Laws will not make this a Christian nation, for many of these very laws some politicians would enact, are also the basis of Islamic law. Biblical morality can only become an integral part of our nation, when we, as a people, have taken Christ into our hearts, and allowed the Holy Spirit to change us.
As Christians, we must not detract from the central message of the Gospels, by making it appear to be a part of one political party. To do so will eventually lead to the total discrediting of the institution of the Church. History has proven, time and again, that the Church must remain aloof from political parties or movements, for when the party is out of office, so is the Church’s influence. It must come with the conversion of her people.
That said, we should remember the advice given by the ever-memorable Alexander Solzhenitsyn who was convinced that the Savior’s words “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” should be fulfilled [Mark 16:15]. One of his convictions was that the Church should naturally be separate from government and politics, but by no means should be separate from society.
Now that America’s extremist right wing groups have become emboldened, leftists have begun to fill their ranks with their own extremists, and the polarization of our country seems poised for another civil war. The Christianizing of this nation cannot be the result of legislation, political extremism, and blood letting between warring factions, but built upon a respect for the opinions of others, and the influence of committed Christians, whose lives are centered in the love of the Prince of Peace.
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: The veranda of our trapeza (refectory).
Thursday August 17, 2017 / August 4, 2017
11th Week after Pentecost. Tone one.
Dormition (Theotokos) Fast. By Monastic Charter: Food without Oil
Holy Seven Youths (the “Seven Sleepers”) of Ephesus: Maximilian, Jamblicus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodian (Constantine) and Antoninus (250 & 5th c.).
New Hieromartyr Nicholas (Prozgrov) (1930).
New Hieromartyr Michael, Martyrs Simeon and Demetrius (1937)
Martyr Eudocia of Persia (362).
Martyr Eleutherius of Constantinople (4th c.).
New Hieromartyr Cosmas of Aitolia, Equal to the Apostles (1779) (Greek).
“Kazan-Penza” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Martyr Ia and 9,000 with her in Persia (Greek).
Martyr Thathuil (Greek).
The Scripture Readings
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
The Light of Christ’s Gospel
4 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:13-28
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
A very nice article! Preach the Gospel, use words if necessary!
This is a doubly vexing issue since one party in the US seems to have totally rejected Christianity and its historic values leading the other, as you say, to politicize the Gospel message.
It is a conundrum with no obvious answer as the ‘sides’ move increasingly apart with no evidence that they can return to some sense of harmony.
It bodes ill for all.
Columba
Leftists, Abbot Tryphon, have ALWAYS filled their ranks with violent extremists. The only difference is that they are no longer concealing that fact. These are the new Bolsheviks and they are no friends to any religion, especially the Orthodox, whose churches and monasteries were laid waste, whose priests and hierarchs were imprisoned, tortured and many killed, whose faithful were intimidated and coerced to prevent them from even going to church lest they be ratted on to the authorities because of these socialists. These are the same people in the modern left. They will invoke religion, but only for their own purposes, not that of the Gospel.The problem is that many, including the media, see and believe these people to be mainstream instead of the radicals they are. They are just as dangerous as the white supremacists, KKK, and Nei-Nazis. They both seek to impose their own will. And both, rightly, should be condemned.
Chris, you sounds like those Lutheran priests asking the Church choir to sing louder so the congregation wouldn’t hear the screams of Jewish children when the train taking them to concentration camps passed behind their Church. You are so deluded in your line of thought by many levels, but comparing the white supremacists and the KKK to those who oppose it, makes it difficult to even start a conversation with you. Be careful, so you don’t become part of those who’re crucifying Christ again.
Joseph, countless German Lutheran pastors were sent to the same concentration camps as the Jews, so don’t dish out this junk to us. And, if you’d been paying attention to the radical leftist attacks on free speak that have been taking place on campuses across the nation (UC Berkeley as an example), you’d know that it is both the lunatics of the left and the right who have been making a mess of things. So, please don’t grace us with any of your crazy conversation, there is quite enough divisiveness in our country, at the moment.
Thank you, father.
Thank you Father.
hello reverend father hegumen tryphon:
a very timely reflection. the problem as you articulate it herein is evidenced in some of the comments here. our politically correct american society has lost its ability to have a respectful dialogue with those whom we may not agree with, but recognize that we are sharing their lived experience as a child of God created in His image and likeness. if man is truly being righteous, he will love and learn and to pray for the healing and the wisdom provided by the Grace of the Holy Ghost for all men. it is not my way or the highway! man will learn to once again to put Christ back into Christian and Christ back into Christmas! ie. actions speak louder than words. pace e bene! father john