LeadershipConneXtions

A Reflection on the Presidential Election

I am taking a few days off from the IBT series. More to come on that, so stay tuned . . .

Instead, it is a week plus a few days after the 2008 Presidential elections.

No sooner did the campaign ads come to an end (and not a moment too soon), that the Christmas advertisements started! Only 43 more shopping days until Christmas! But, this is a post about the presidential election and not about consumerism (now where did I put my Santa list?).

I wanted to share a few thoughts that have lingered with me and continue to go a little deeper. This is a longer reflection, but I think it will go quickly.

ONE: I read Jesus for President earlier in the year and I have to admit, that book resonated in some deep ways. I know some people react pretty negatively against  Claiborne's politics of justice and compassion, but what I haven't heard was those people doing a better job exegeting the biblical texts and then applying the biblical texts in a contemporary way. I am a little suspicious of those who start with a political ideology and then ignore the text. Let's start with the biblical text and talk meaningfully about strategic applications of it in our contemporary situation.

TWO: Shane Claiborne is an Anabaptist and I found myself doing a little revisiting of church history and pondering the different approaches to politics taken by different Christian traditions throughout history. I actually did a presentation on this to a group of young adults at LWCC's Liquid. Even though I am strongly reformational and desire to see all of life redeemed, I also have some "Anabaptisty" tendencies in my life. And I have been feeling a little bit Anabaptisty lately.

THREE:  By Anabaptisty, I mean that I am feeling a bit suspicious and cynical toward power and especially political power. I also mean that I am thinking that Christians should have more of a prophetic, subversive, counter-cultural influence than we do.

FOUR:  I recently taught a course on Emerging Paradigms of Leadership and one of the sessions was an overview survey of a biblical theology of power and authority (leadership). Every time I do this, I am truly struck by just how radical is the use of power and authority in the Scriptures. It is the "not-so-with-you" model of Jesus (Mark 10:35-45). As I go through this material, and think of political leadership, is it any wonder that the Anabaptists (both old and new) could not reconcile Christians in the political roles of our culture.

FIVE:  In our Ancient Future Faith course, we are looking to rediscover the Forgotten Ways and then figure out how to re-practice these ways today and tomorrow. Some of the Forgotten Ways are the great themes of the bible that we can overlook. One of the themes we considered for two weeks was the Sovereignty of God. I have to admit that many years ago this was a dominant theme in my thinking. Then it kind of slipped into the background, went away and I rarely ever give it a thought. Well, it resurfaced with a vengeance in the last month through texts like Isaiah 40 (and in particular, vs. 23-24) which have been the stepping stone for lectio divina reflection. God is the Sovereign Lord and even the greatest nations and their rulers are as grasshoppers, dust in the wind, here today, gone tomorrow. If you have it, pull out Chariots of Fire and watch the scene near the end where Eric Liddel is reading Isaiah 40 while the Olympic track events are being held on Sunday. God is in control.

SIX:  I was deeply moved by how the African American population reacted when Barack Obama won the presidency. To see tears streaming down their faces, to see the signs of overwhelming joy . . . that was priceless. It was far more than a candidate with their political positions being elected. The first African American president-elect! It's true. The Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement . . . this is the culmination of what that was all about . . . THE DREAM . . . and I was proud to be an American.

SEVEN:  Whether you like his policies or not (and policies are very important), the bearing, the demeanor, the presence and the oratory of Obama on Tuesday night was very moving for me. If one of the tasks of leadership is to inspire and one of the tools leaders use to do that is communication, then we can all admit that Obama is virtually without peer. (I also keep in mind that some of the leaders who are most dangerously wooed by the "dark side of the force" are those who are enormously charismatic . . .).

EIGHT:  The world was tuned in -- big time! Since I am very interested in many countries around the world, I spent some time surfing the Internet for world news the next day. It was pretty striking to see the excitement THE WORLD HAS for our President Elect.  I have had this conversation with a number of people . . . but if you just don't travel internationally, it is hard to understand just how much of the world really HATED us in recent years. Why do so many people hate us? I won't say any more about this, just something I've been reflecting on.

NINE:  I have been truly impressed on the responsibility of prayer for our leaders.  

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (First Timothy 2:1-2)

This is not something I am accustomed to doing, but something I believe God is nudging me to do with great frequency.

TEN:  I found myself thinking, now that we have a new president, the 48% who did not vote for him will now be against him.They will want him to fail because they oppose his policies. They will resist those policies, be passive-aggressive if not outrightly aggressive. They will withhold their energies and contributions.

We are not a United States of America. We are a Deeply Divided States of America.

Think about it this way - if we did this in ANY OTHER INSTITUTION, anywhere - that institution would be crippled, useless, ineffective.  If the business world operated this way they'd go out of business . . . if churches operated this way (wait, that's right, churches do operate that way) they'd close their doors . . . if families operated this way they'd break up in divorce (hmmm) . . . if sports teams . . . Well, you get the picture . . .

I guess that is why they call it politics. Since you can't count on people helping you, you have to manipulate them, placate them, trick them, lie to them, cover up the truth from them, spin-doctor to them . . .

I think I'll go pray now.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Culture Wars, Rumors of the Prince of Peace, and Will the Real Leader Please Stand Up

Without question - the 2008 Primaries and Presidential Race is the most interesting one I have ever seen.

The Democratic Primary was a nail biting, down to the wire, winner take all and loser goes home with the need to be a great sport event.

The Republican Primary - to be honest, I wasn't that caught up in it.

The Democratic Convention had the best pageantry and strong ending that threw the gauntlet down to the Republicans - top this.  Challenge our Apollo (i.e. Obama) who will bring in a new day.

The Republicans did just that with the surprise Sarah Palin Gambit (an obscure chess move where the "white pieces" choose an unexpected attack using the White Queen to protect her weaker King,that at first seems foolish, then breath-taking in its complexity, and which forces the opponent to a desperate defensive).

Now it is the grind to the finish line.

Here are a few things that hit me.

ONE:  Yes, we have an enormous cultural divide and in the election year, a cultural war in the USA. We are definitely not the United States of America, but more like the Divided States of America.

TWO:  There is a lot of anger (and fear) in our country. Just listen to the political maneuverings. They seek to stir up our fear of what the enemy will do and to stimulate our righteous anger for our own cause. We are not a very civil people. This cultural divide/war brings out the ugliest in our soul.

THREE:  In this Deeply Divided and Decidely Uncivil States of America, Christians are not left out or left behind. We too are deeply divided and really not too different from those who don't follow Christ. Where are the peacemakers who can move into the divide? What happens when those who could be peacemakers are cultural war mongers as well?

FOUR:  I wonder if Christians first have a political ideology (whether left or right) which is supremely important to the holder, and only then a Christianity that is aligned with their political ideology. In what sense, if at all, do we practice and experience the reality of Ephesians 2:11-22. The center of this passage says:

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility . . .

It seems it was much easier for Christ to destroy the dividing wall between  Gentile and Jew than to build a bridge across the dividing wall between Republican Christian and Democratic Christian.

FIVE:  I also wonder if for some Christians, the very word Christian is no longer a NOUN, but has become an ADJECTIVE. The noun is what you fundamentally are. An adjective is what nuances what you fundamentally are. I think that some of us are not as much Christians are we are Christian Democrats or Christian Republicans.

SIX:  Is it possible to frame a different approach where we ask - what does the Scripture have to say about doing justice, taking care of the poor and oppressed, waging war and seeking peace, loving our neighbor, practicing righteousness in all arenas of life, praying for the welfare of the "city" in which we are called to live, practicing generosity towards the needy, and on and on?

On the other hand, as I mentioned in a previous post, most Christians have not seriously inquired of the Scriptures on these matters. If anything, we go seeking a proof text or two to support our preferred position.

Maybe we need a Purple State of Mind. Thank-you Craig Detweiler.

 

SEVEN:  Politics are important, terribly important . . . but have you noticed the salvific language and images? I mean, let's be honest, Obama is being presented as a savior to the faithful constituency. The Republicans used salvific language in their convention.

Whether you put your trust in the Republican Horses or the  Democratic Chariots, it is a misplaced trust. Politics is vital, but it is not ultimate.   (Psalm 20:7;  Isaiah 31:1)  When religious language and longings are transferred to the sphere of politics . . . that is dangerous. A useful and necessary servant (politics) makes for a terrible god.

EIGHT:  I am pretty sure it is still the ekklesia that bears the image of Christ, that is the hope of the world. The last I checked, neither the Democratic party nor the  Republicans had replaced the church as the hope of the world. But if the church has become so culturally anemic and irrelevant, it comes as no surprise that we look elsewhere for salvation.

NINE:

And on a whimsical note . . .

I bet Obama is kicking himself for not having chosen Oprah as a running mate. 

Think about it:  Obama-Oprah vs. McCain-Palin. That would have kept us all tuned in for the September-October drag race.

TEN: Will a real leader please stand up and show us a new way?

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

Thoughtful Christians and Wise Voting

Okay, this is not a political party post.

I am not making any recommendations for any candidate. The size of the pictures is just how they were found on the internet.

But I am encouraging a way to approach this presidential election.

I know we are all busy.

I know we are all dealing with finite amounts of energy. I am already hearing about voter fatigue, or perhaps it is voter fatigue about the campaign that is still in its early stages.

I know most of us reading this have our political ideology already in place and are pretty locked into our voting patterns.

I also know that most of us have done little or no meaningful reflection on what the Scriptures have to say about the important issues of our day. Nor are we at all in tune with some of the best theological reflection on these issues through the history of the Christian faith.

And remember . . . I have absolutely no desire to lead you to vote one way or the other . . . But I do have a deep desire that you be a thoughtful, intelligent, well informed, wise voter who casts your vote with a lot of integrity.

For that to happen, you are going to need to do a little work to listen, to get information, to sift through the "c _ _ _" that is out there (c r u d), and to think.

I need to do this as well. Political rhetoric is one thing. Preaching political policy to the party choir is one thing. But substantial analysis is something altogether different.

I picked up the September 2008 issue of The Atlantic at Borders. The feature articles are on the presidential race. The lead article is:  The Orator vs. the Warrior - Who Will Win? And it is a preview of how the debate is likely going to go.

On a very different note, I also picked up a copy of the Sept-Oct issue of Relevant because one of its articles got my attention:  How to Vote Without Losing Your Soul:  Yet Its Possible.

Let's all of us do our homework. Think about the issues. Think about the candidates. And then vote without losing our soul.

After all, we are voting for the next senior leadership of the United States of  America.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International

The Character of McCain: Reflecting on a Man and His Words

Everyone will have their thoughts about John McCain's presidential nomination speech.

Here are my impressionistic thoughts:

CHARACTER:  The man's character is beautiful. Strength, courage, wisdom, humility, genuineness, transparent, bridge-building, generous, selfless, servant leader . . . It seemed like there was a deep quality of love that was moving inside him. As I am listening, I find myself thinking: this is truly a good man who has been a good leader.

RESPECT:  There are not too many politicians that I really respect and admire for who they are. I tend to have cynicism and skepticism about politicians. I didn't have those feelings as I listened to McCain. I was choked up at different points.

I was glad that he had the fewest salvos against the opposition of all four candidates.

I was glad that he reached across parties, more than any other candidate. (The radio talk show conservatives are going to be upset about that.)

SUFFERING and FORMATION:  Tried, tested, and formed by suffering. Weaned off his proud self-sufficiency to dependency on others.

Will he be able to be a good president is a question that the American population will have to decide.

What will his specific policies be and will his policies work? That is to be decided.

I think I'll pay attention to the presidential race over the next 60 days. maybe the most interesting year of elections I have ever known.

Brian Rice

Hitting the Character Issue at a Presidential Level

I got home late last night and missed much of the Republican Convention, but I did catch some of Fred Thompson and then Joe Lieberman.

Fred Thompson talked at length about McCain's time as a P.O.W. and the suffering he went through. I was amazed. I didn't know any of the details of his imprisonment.

It was pretty obvious that they were hitting real hard the issue of character when it comes to John McCain. For them, McCain's character is an open book. He has a long track record of integrity, courage, faithfulness to convictions and honesty in his dealing with others. Oh yes, and a pretty humble guy at that! What you see is what you get with McCain.

They also hit real hard that McCain has a long record of bi-partisan work, seeking to build bridges between groups. Of course, with Democratic Joe Lieberman making this point, that carried a bit more weight.

I found myself pondering (again) the issues of charisma and character in leaders.

Brian Rice

Leadership ConneXtions International