Last Lord’s Day we began a series of exhortations on our civic responsibilities. We considered the fact that we have an important local election coming up, and we balanced that against our repeated emphasis that politics is not to become an idol. At the same time, we are not supposed to flee from our civic responsibilities in fear, or ignore them through laziness. How do we balance all this?
The first principle is that it is not the place of the Church to engage in partisan politics. By that I mean that we are here to worship God, not listen to campaign speeches.
The second principle is that the influence of the Church is not supposed to work by magic. Jeremiah told the people of Israel who were exiled in Babylon to work for the good of their city, to be fruitful and productive people in that setting. This is done by many means, most notably by providing for your family, but also through the assumption of civic responsibilities like serving and voting.
Third, we are here in the Church as an alternative polis, a different way of structuring human life. This does not mean that we are supposed to pack up our things and move down the road in order to establish that alternative. That is not really a “different way,” but is fundamentally the same way. The secular city knows how to plant colonies too. Such attempts have been made many times in history, sometimes out of necessity, but it is not the main way that God wants His city established. Through worship, and through quiet and peaceful lives lived in an orderly way, the existing order is to be gradually and naturally transformed. Part of your responsibility in that process is familiarizing yourself with the issues, registering to vote, and doing so.
It is not our role in the Church to tell you how to vote. It is our responsibility to tell you that you are salt and light, and that you must therefore be engaged and involved.