Faith in the Public Square: Christianity, Politics, and Liberation / A.J. Hendry

This last year has been interesting in that for a combination of reasons we have seen aspects of the Church find their voice within the public square with a frequency and consistency that we probably haven’t seen for a long time.

Abortion reform, euthanasia, the Lockdown (amongst other hot button issues), have prompted Christian leaders to be engaged publicly. Some have formed political parties, others have issued press statements challenging the government or - in the case of the lockdown - still others have directly and publicly petitioned the Prime Minister.

And then, more recently, Judith Collins, the leader of the National Party has even started referring to herself as a Christian, raising questions for many about what it means to be a Christian, and what sort of values someone bearing that title might hold.

Now whenever people of faith speak in the public square – especially when they acknowledge the faith and worldview that shapes their perspective - there are always those who tell us that we shouldn’t. Instead we’re told that politics, religion and social discourse should be completely separate and detached. Personally, I don’t buy that. Mainly because I think it’s impossible.

The reality is human beings are holistic creatures, which means that we can't - and shouldn't pretend to - separate our faith and spirituality from the worldview it shapes.

If anyone tells you that their faith is completely disconnected from their politics, they're being dishonest, to themselves most likely, but most definitely to you. This of course does not solely apply to people of faith, regardless of if you’re an atheist or even an agnostic, you will have a worldview and a set of assumptions that go with that worldview. Of course this will influence you and the way you interact and engage in this world.

However, as a Christian myself, what concerns me about the current dominate narrative within Christian engagement is the way it elevates the conservative, often American imported, Christian politic.

Groups like Family First, The New Conservative Party, Vision NZ, and even Billy T's NZPP, tell us that Christian values and their brand of conservatism go hand in hand.

Abortion reform, euthanasia, legalization of cannabis, these issues are stripped from their societal context and elevated to become the key make or break moral issues of the Christian community, and any challenge to this claim are met – by some members of the community - with questions targeting the legitimacy of one’s faith.

Yet, regardless of what you see in the media or the claims you hear from supporters of the New Conservative Party, or Family First, these groups do not represent the full spectrum of the Christian experience.

The Christian tradition has a long history of social engagement, in our whakapapa are leaders who opposed slavery, who resisted British colonization, who stood as a voice for those pushed to the margins of society.

Probably the most dominant theme within the Christian scriptures is the theme of liberation for the poor and oppressed. These scriptures were, first for the Jewish people, and then for the Christian community that followed, a blue print for resistance against oppressive regimes.

And at the centre of the story, is this idea that the Divine is always on the side of the poor, on the side of the weak, on the side of the oppressed.

Jesus himself is the symbol of this reality. That the Divine is not far removed from the suffering of the oppressed but is intrinsically involved in their very liberation.

When the Christian scriptures speak of the Gospel, this is what they mean. That the Divines dream for this world is coming about, that the needless suffering, poverty, and exploitation of our fellow human beings is coming to an end. And that arising out of all this brokenness and pain is a new reality. A reality where people love one another. Where we see each other, and instead of turning away, we care for each other, putting the needs of the vulnerable above our own comfort or security.

This is the core of the Christian message, the world is being renewed, and the Divine dream is becoming reality.

And yet, you would struggle to get that from the dominant Christian voice which we hear far too often. A voice which seems overly focused on telling people what Christian’s – and society at large - should be against, rather than casting a vision for a more inclusive and just future.

Here in New Zealand, we Christians have become far too well known for what we are against. And to be honest, that is largely our fault. We’ve allowed ourselves to be manipulated by political agenda’s seeking to claim the Christian vote as they’re own. Not to dissimilar from what has happened in the U.S, we’ve been told that conservatism is synonymous with Christianity, and many of us have believed it. We’ve been so focused on opposing issues like abortion and euthanasia, that we’ve been willing to vote for and support parties and policies that are willing to legislate our morality, while implementing policy that oppresses the poor, and pushes those on the margins further to our society’s edge.

We’ve told ourselves that “we could never vote for a politician that supported abortion” while voting for parties that have allowed our children to live below the poverty line, and turning a blind eye to landlords who exploit the poor. And so instead of remembering our own story, this story of justice for the poor, of liberation for the oppressed, of the Divine’s solidarity with those on the margins, we’ve allowed ourselves to be keenly focused on key moral issues, while being willing to compromise the key foundational values of our faith.

Many of us have become so caught up on what we’re against, that we’ve forgotten what we are for.

Christianity is an incarnate religion. It is a faith, that at it’s richest, and most beautiful, is about being in and amongst the messiness of life. It is about Love, for the world, for creation, for the poor, the marginalized, for any who are oppressed and cast to the side.

It is one of the beautiful gifts our religion offers the world.

Our faith calls us, not to be a community separate from society, standing outside of it, throwing stones in, but to be a people who are intimately involved in the messiness and suffering of our world. Christians are called to stand in solidarity with those forced to the margins, to be a voice for those the powerful have silenced, to be champions of Liberation, and to plant our feet beside those who are being oppressed.

There are some very loud voices in the Christian community telling us that when we vote this election, that our vote should be cast against those parties that encroach on our community’s standard of morality. We are being encouraged not to compromise, but to stand firm.

And yet, when we choose to ignore politics and policies that do direct harm to the poor, simply because “at least they oppose abortion” than we are still compromising.

Almost 40% of the population identify with Christianity.

That is a significant, and potentially influential voting block.

Imagine if that vote was harnessed for the good of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. Imagine if churches across this country stood up and said that they wanted to end child poverty and youth homelessness, that they wanted justice reform, that they wanted our social welfare system to be remade in a manner which acknowledged the intrinsic value of human life and recognized human dignity. Imagine what might happen, what might change?

Imagine what that future might look like.

And then ask yourself.

This election, what can I do to make that future our reality?

A.J. Hendry