Reading Francis

At our core, we don’t have a political problem. We have an idolatry problem. 

In the wake of the shooting of former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, there have been many new calls to return civility to politics. Before we can hope to regain civility, much less the focus on the common good, though, we need to first address the theological elephant in the room: American politics, for too many, is idolatrous. Unless we can dethrone the idol of politics and return it to a place of subordinate value, civility and the common good will remain elusive.

How do we know that American politics has crossed the line into idolatry? First, for many, political allegiance is our primary source of identity and holds a primary claim on our time and attention. It is one thing to be an informed citizen, but quite another to spend hours on end watching politically biased news commentary, listening to podcasts and talk radio, and otherwise surrounding yourself with political messaging that reinforces a worldview. Perhaps we all would benefit from a simple examination of conscience: is our devotion of time and attention to politics greater than that to God, or even to family? 

Second, we see the true expression of religious faith alloyed by political allegiance. Much has been made of the allegiance of many Catholic, evangelical and protestant churches – both pastoral leaders and congregations – with the American populist movement. To a lesser degree, the same temptation to political alignment appears in congregations on the American left. While faith can and must inform our positions on issues affecting the common good, when we are tempted to assume that “God’s way” aligns perfectly with “my way” or “my party’s way,” we are clearly off track. A simple application of Catholic social teaching makes clear that Catholics cannot be fully comfortable with either party’s platform. 

Third, even among Christians, theological virtues are overcome by the political culture of fear. We follow a Christ who desired our unity, but we allow political allegiances to divide us. We proclaim a gospel of hope, but we live in a constant state of political dread that, if our opponent wins, all will be lost. We worship a God who desires our unity, but we live in a political culture that depends on fear to maintain divisive tribal loyalties.

It is possible to participate in the political process without making it an idol. For almost 25 years, I have worked as a policy advocate at the national, state and local levels for a (secular) non-partisan organization, which has given me an immersive view of the political process and lots of practice at working to achieve good policy in contentious debates. Here are three suggestions from my experience. 

First, we are “members” of many things, from the Body of Christ to families of origin to fan or hobby clubs to loyalty rewards programs at our local coffee shop. Some of those memberships define us, and some are just a way to engage more efficiently with the world. Don’t let your political party membership creep above family and faith in defining you. 

Second, stay uncomfortable with your faith. The Gospel is meant both to console and challenge us; when I am comfortable enough to feel a tinge of triumphalism about my faith and its application to my political views, I know I’ve developed a blind spot to the gaps that remain between our temporal structures and eternal truths. 

And third, choose love, not fear. When I am tempted to demonize an opponent, I know I’ve fallen for fear. I can counter that by remembering that God’s love extends to all of us, and I am challenged to mirror that divine reality in how I treat the people I disagree with. When I’m tempted to despair about our future, I know I’ve forgotten the God whose world this is.

Until we fix our idolatry problem, we’ll never fix our politics.