When I began pondering the “politics of God” for this month’s Synchroblog, I decided that I’d have a look at the etymology of the word “politics”. What I learned is that “politics” is related to a Greek word that implies “citizenship”.
So when we talk about God’s politics, we are really talking about God’s citizenship: How God participates and operates in the civil affairs of where he resides.
This brings up several important questions:
In what nation does God hold citizenship?
If nations believe that God is “on their side” in times of war, are they saying that God is somehow a citizen of their country?
Where does God hold residency?
Does he get to vote?
Is he subject to government authorities where he holds citizenship?
And how do we determine where his citizenship lies?
Sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it? God being a citizen of his own creation? Or perhaps his Kingdom (and as Steve Hayes notes, God is a monarch) really isn’t of this world, and the notion that God forms political alliances with earthly governments is ridiculous?
So let’s take this a step further: When we speak of “Christian Politics” (be they left or right), we are talking about Christian citizenship. And where, pray tell, do Christians have their citizenship? Perhaps in God’s non-earthly kingdom, where strategies and compromises and deals don’t have to be formulated and made?
Do we kid ourselves when we believe that our political canvassing and maneuvering makes a real difference?
Can a Christian hold duel citizenship? And if we could, what would this accomplish?
More questions than answers, to be sure. But I can’t help but wonder whether we, in our efforts to rightly define what our “politics” ought to be, are forgetting where our true citizenship lies. When we vote for the lesser of two evils at the polls, are we selling ourselves short? Are we selling God short? Why do we fear remembering the existence of the treasure of the kingdom that lies beyond all borders, freely offered to all who thirst for it?
Other Synchrobloggers:
Phil Wyman rants about The Talking Points of Presumption
Lainie Petersen considers Questioning the Citizen Diety
Jonathan Brink enters The Political Fray
Adam Gonnerman explains The Living Christ’s Present Reign
Sonja Andrews Won’t Get Fooled Again
Mike Bursell at Mike’s Musings
Sally Coleman at Eternal Echoes
Steve Hayes on God’s Politics
Matthew Stone at Matt Stone Journeys in Between
Steve Hollinghurst at On Earth as in Heaven
KW Leslie tells us about God’s Politics
Julie Clawson at One Hand Clapping
Dan Stone at The Tense Before
Alan Knox asks Is God Red, Blue, or Purple?
Beth Patterson writes about Learners inheriting the earth: the politics of God
Erin Word discusses Hanging Chad Theology
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Some food for thought here – thanks. I always think it’s important to ask questions even when there isn’t an answer easily found. It’s gets the mind looking at things from a different angle…
Thank you for this, I like the idea of asking which nation does God hold citizenship, and guess I said the same kind of thing in a different way!
Great Questions – thanks for leading the way to good thinking.
Hi Lainie–
These are good questions–and helps us understand just how much we anthropomorphize God!
Some smartypants said that God made man in his own image and then man has now returned the favor!
Thanks for your great site!
Beth