“There is no such thing as a nonpolitical Christianity.
To refuse to critique the system or the status quo is to fully support it—which is a political act well disguised.”
Richard Rohr, Catholic priest and mystic
I have to admit that I chose this quote by Fr. Richard Rohr to be placed right before we vote and start hearing the results of the midterm elections in these United States.
Photo by Alan Aprillo@alanaprillo
There is almost nothing to say in this regard, but I guess I should state the obvious. Mystics simply do not have the capacity to split the world into separate compartments. The mystical lens sees a unified and integrated world and thus it is nearly impossible to fully separate the spiritual realm and the political realm.
I was a pastor long enough to know that some churches and some members prefer to keep Sundays for spiritual matters and life outside of church to practical and political matters. I once challenged a congregation who felt strongly about this to then forgo their usual July 4th service reminding them that they had made it clear that they didn’t want to mix spirituality and politics. Let’s just say it didn’t go over very well!
Richard Rohr assumes that Christianity, by its nature, is a critiquing tradition. It’s not so much that Christianity is obligated to critique the system.. It is more that those who begin to see life through the eyes of God simply can’t help but to critique the system. Once you get a taste of God’s reality you can’t help but to remind people where the system is wonderfully flourishing and where it is falling woefully short. Policies, legislation and budgets are not neutral actions of spiritless people. They are manifestations of how well we embody God’s character through the way we organize ourselves, take care of each other, and establish ideals and boundaries around conduct.
We are in a pregnant a pivotal moment in these Unites States. What happens on November 3 is not just a reflection of our political life. What happens on November 3 will, one way or another, either make our soul sing or our heart cry. Elections and political life are spiritual matters. Why is that? Because matters of connection and compassion and empathy are not limited to Sunday church services. They show up in our government policies, our legislation and our budgets.
There is no such thing as a nonpolitical Christianity or spirituality. If someone could prove that God is only active on Sundays I would be willing to change my mind. Until then, what is spiritual is also political. You can’t split human beings in half..