By Dr. Kristen Barnes-Holiday, Ph.D., Contributing Columnist
As we have reached the climax of the political season in the United States, it has become evident that while all Christians accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, some Christians are only partial to certain aspects of Christ. And somehow this conversation continues to rear its’ ugly head, as the election season continues to intensify, coming to a halt in just a few short weeks.
I’d like to believe that we have moved beyond the conversation of Jesus’ positionality in relation to politics, as my last two articles have clearly identified Jesus as a political figure. Thus, we can lay the narrative to rest, which suggests that politics holds no space in religion. Nonetheless, if we are dually framing Jesus as our savior and one who organized around the issues – a politico – we cannot ignore the fact that Jesus was for ALL and not in support of the select few or certain agendas. Now, don’t confuse this statement with the idea that Jesus endorsed all without any pushback, because we all know that Jesus often took a definitive stance on issues of the time. But nonetheless, Jesus was for all the people — the naysayers, the skeptics, the backstabbers, the people who looked and preached differently than He did.
But we forget this part.
It’s easy for us to embrace the warm and fuzzy OR those portions of Jesus that meet our own standards and agenda. Let me make this plain for you.
Jesus the Lover.
Jesus the Comforter.
Jesus the Condemner is oftentimes situated as more palatable, at least through the lens of the righteous Christian.
And let me be the first to tell you, we, as Believers, have a skewed perspective on the personhood of Christ and a distorted view of what constitutes Christianity.
As an influencer recently stated, “Jesus was in the trenches,” and it was in this space that he aided skeptics in their unbelief, and not through His lens, but right where they were (John 20:27), challenged those who held true to the notion that certain racial groups were forbidden to interact with others (John 4:7-10), and he even accepted his backstabbers and betrayers (Matthew 26; Judas and Peter).
Jesus loved people beyond their flaws. Jesus didn’t just say He was for the people, but he constantly demonstrated the depth of His love for a diverse array of people.
Yet, here we are in yet another political season where differences are positioned as determinants for relationships severing or surviving. Political agendas, affiliations and rhetoric have clouded how we perceive others and determining factor for our choice to accept or ostracize our neighbors.
Honestly, I’m not here to distinguish between who is right and wrong but I am here to remind you that Jesus did not allow politics come before personhood. Jesus embraced people despite differences. Sure, he disagreed and oftentimes offered evidence to support his claims, but he always took this stance in love.
Take a moment and do an introspective assessment.
Until next time…
Love and blessings,
Dr. Kristen Barnes-Holiday, Ph.D., is a professor of English at Wayne County Community College District, a second-year divinity student at Duke University, and a Christian blogger. In addition, she is a teacher, preacher, and lifelong student of the Word of Jesus Christ.
About Post Author
