The members of my church span the political spectrum. I actually think that is quite healthy, but it occasionally makes preaching a bit nerve wracking. Take this Sunday, Sanctity of Life Sunday. How do I appropriately honor a day of such high value for some members of my congregation without appearing partisan and alienating others?
My initial thought (clearly the desire of my flesh) was to go in guns blazing with provocative language to make sure both sides heard the ugliness of issues for which each political camp tends to turn a blind eye. “They need to hear the truth!” I thought, and it was my job to tell them.
Then I started reading the text.
The lectionary’s Gospel reading about John the Baptist and the OT reading from Isaiah 49 accomplished the same goals. They affirmed the value of life inside and outside of the womb, the presence of God’s grace from the beginning and also throughout life. The texts accomplished these goals without browbeating, however. They affirmed life by focusing on the abundant goodness of God’s work, not the abundant failures of human work.
I noticed this, yet the hard-hitting political commentary remained in my notes even on Sunday morning when I went up to preach, but in the moment I didn’t feel the freedom of God’s Spirit to speak it. Instead, I felt led to focus on the good our congregation is already doing across typical “party” lines. As I looked at the faces of those in the congregation, I saw the woman who had started our Pro-Life group, the couple who took refugees into their own home, the members who regularly visit shut-ins. They don’t need to be lectured; they need to be encouraged. They need to hear that the ways they are already being faithful demonstrate the Gospel which supersedes any imperfect political party.
It weighs heavy on my heart how I and my fellow pastors might shepherd our people through 2020. This Sunday gave me a picture of how it might unfold. There might come a time to speak hard truth, but that is probably better done one-on-one, once I’ve listened and really heard if chastisement is fitting. From the pulpit, I will follow not my imagined best remedy, but the revelation. God’s word is completely sufficient to speak with grace and truth to our times, and I have frequently found the Spirit to be a gentle teacher, prompting with a carrot rather than beating down with a stick.
I will continue to proclaim that there is no other king than Jesus, but I think my people already know that. They might just need encouragement to see how they are all—in beautifully different ways— about the business of building his Kingdom.
This resource is part of the series Kingdom Politics. Click Here to explore more resources from this series.
Amy Peeler is Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. She also serves as Associate Rector at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Geneva, IL. She earned her PhD in biblical studies from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her research interests have included Hebrews, Mark, Matthew, the Fatherhood of God, and Feminist Theology. She is a fellow in the St. Augustine fellowship of the CPT.
