God Bless America
In discussing his politics, Terry Drew told the reporter Stephanie McCrummen, "I hate it," he said. "My wife and I talk about it all the time. We rationalize the immoral things away. We don't like it, but we look at the alternative, and think it could be worse than this."
Read 1 Samuel 8:4-20
The elders of Israel are looking at a bad situation: Samuel is getting old, his sons are corrupt, and all the other nations have kings. To ensure their nation's security, they want what works: a king. They're in unanimous agreement. After all, they only want to be "like all the nations." But the hidden cost of conformity is losing allegiance to their invisible King. The Lord tells his prophet to listen closely. They aren't rejecting Samuel, but the God he represents. Then the Lord tells the elders to listen closely. Through Samuel, he clarifies what happens if they take matters into their own hands: the king will take and take and take some more. The sociologists Philip Gorski and Samuel Perry found that "religious terms like 'Christian' and 'evangelical' are becoming markers of social identity and political views rather than just religious conviction." For instance, the phrase "Christ is King" has become a rallying cry for far-right political influencers. It allows them to talk about honoring God so that they can mobilize their followers for political action. Perhaps we should be careful how we pray. God wants to give us what is good, but if we demand his removal from our affairs, we would find that his "yes" was the worst "no" of our lives. It's not that God didn't care about Israel's politics. But the challenge was for Israel to trust their true King. Where Israel's kings kept taking, Jesus came to break the pattern. He "came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Because Jesus served us, we can confidently approach his throne with boldness and find help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
The elders thought they were being reasonable, but God heard their rejection of his authority. Why couldn't God approve of their politics?
Israel's kings take. Jesus gives his life away. Which king does your politics look like?
Where have you uncomfortably justified your political choices? Be specific.
If you're able, bow your head and open your hands, palms up. Tell God, "You're my King. I trust you to keep me safe." Without arguing about politics, share with a friend one way you each have tried to be like the nations instead of like Jesus.