Politics and the Christian School Part 1 of 2...

It’s autumn. Cooler temps. Falling leaves. Pumpkin spice. 
And elections.
Politics and the thoughts and emotions they evoke are nothing new. We live in a divided America and some claim we’ve never been more divided. But there have been divided times since the fall of man in Genesis 3.  No matter the date or culture, there has always been tension brought on by political discourse and the political process. But as a Christian school whose vision remains to prepare our students to be “godly influencers who are well prepared for life after high school and who impact the culture for Christ,” how do we as a school handle what can be a very divisive and volatile topic?
 
Perhaps two conversations I have had in recent years, each with a dear, Christian friend, can spotlight two, near opposite ends of the dilemma facing a Christian school. 

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Friend #1: “Why can’t Christians just stay out of politics and focus on the Gospel? The world is going to hell, and we need to be sharing Christ, not distracted with politics!”
 
Friend #2: “I cannot understand why every true Christian is not out there campaigning for [insert candidate’s name]. This election is the most important in our lifetime, and if Christians take their faith seriously, then they need to be supporting [candidate] with everything they have!”
 
These two very passionate pleas stem from hearts to live out their faith biblically. Certainly, each of us needs to wrestle with these issues individually before the Lord and in the light of the revealed Truth of God’s Word (Proverbs 3:5, James 1:5, 2 Timothy 3:16). But as a 501(c)(3) organization, a Christian school like WCS approaches this issue in the same way we would want our students to approach this issue: with prayer, with biblical conviction, with humility, and with a posture of grace. We pray for our nation, and we pray for our leaders.  

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  1 Timothy 2:1–4
 
We also follow a few guiding principles. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it is a sampling of the lessons we teach.
 
Our ultimate hope is in Jesus Christ, not a politician or party.
History is full of great leaders who led with integrity and skill (Psalm 78:72). And history is full of despots and tyrants who wreaked havoc and destruction. But no politician can solve the ultimate problem with humanity: sin. Only Jesus Christ can cure this basic sickness infecting the human condition. We can learn much from historical leaders’ good and bad examples; our Heritage Studies curriculum and teachers at WCS teach this very well. Still, we are careful to point our students to Christ and not to any human leader as the ultimate hope for mankind. 
 
God cares about politics because God cares about everything.
One of our school’s core values is Biblical Worldview. This means that everything we teach is filtered through the corrective lens of God’s Truth. By partnering with Christian parents, we strive to train our students to see all of life through this clear reality. No segment of life (not even politics) should be sectioned off as “secular” or presumed unimportant to God. To do so creates a distorted view of reality. The Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper said it this way:
“Oh, no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”
 
So, even the tension of politics needs to be examined through the lens of God’s truth. Ultimately, politics is about morality. Jeff Meyers, president of Summit Ministries, recently explained it this way, “Political decisions have a moral basis. Even something as simple as a stop sign has a moral component—we put it up to regulate the flow of traffic so that people don’t get hurt because people have value as God’s image bearers. In every political act, someone’s morality will always be imposed—the only questions are whose morality and on what basis. This is not to say that Christians should get involved in politics merely to claim their fair share of power. Rather, involvement proceeds from this: The end of every life pursuit is to know God and make him known. Politics is a form of discipleship, our involvement in which helps shape us into the image of Christ.”
 
Our focus is biblical principles, not partisanship.
As a school, we do not endorse specific candidates or political parties. Instead, we teach students to seek God’s heart, revealed in His Word. The Bible is God’s love letter to us, not only in its telling of Christ and His sacrificial death and resurrection—which makes eternal life with Him possible—but also in its clear instruction on how we are to live in the here and now. We may not always agree on politics, but we should be able to discover and follow God’s clearly revealed principles. 

• We value and protect life because God values life (Exodus 20:13).
• We seek justice because God commands it (Micah 6:8). 
• We obey authority, even corrupt authority, but never in disobedience to God’s higher authority (Romans 13). 
• We respect personal property (Exodus 20:15). 
• We tell the truth and oppose lies and deceit (Proverbs 12:22).
• We defend the innocent and hold the guilty accountable (Proverbs 24:11-12). 
• We provide for the poor and welcome the stranger (1 John 3:16-18, Exodus 23:9).

These are all Biblical values—God’s values. While believers may differ on the civil government’s role in these issues or the best way to enact specific public policy, the underlying principles should guide us all. 
 
Our obedience is in making disciples and making the world better.
Two of God’s prime commands for His children are to make disciples (The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18–20 and Acts 1:8) and to make the world more like the way God intended (The Cultural Mandate of Genesis 1:26–28). These commands are not in opposition. We do not have to choose between sharing the Gospel and improving the culture. A great example of this is God’s commands to the Jewish exiles who were about to be sent to Babylon in captivity. God was punishing them for generations of sinful idolatry and rebellion. And yet, He reassures them of his love and steadfast purpose for them (the famous Jeremiah 29:11). He also tells them how they should act in their new, pagan culture:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.  Jeremiah 29: 4–8
 
They were going to be there awhile, and God wanted them to work for the benefit of their new city, pagan though it was. Daniel and his three friends are great examples of strong believers who leveraged their personal integrity and political influence to spark a revival and make a positive cultural impact.
 
Our humility is displayed in our discourse.
We seek to model civil discourse, respectful discussion, and debate in a world that screams at those who disagree and disavows anyone with differing opinions. We do not sacrifice Christian fellowship and unity for issues not clear-cut in Scripture. We speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We can be passionate about biblical principles without being hateful. We can be patient with those with whom we disagree on matters not explicit in Scripture. We can model for our children the thoughtful, intelligent, respectful conversations we desire in our leaders and our culture.
 
Of course, we realize that darkness hates the light (John 3:19–20) and that we cannot seek friendship with evil (1 John 2:15–17). If we expect a sinful culture to befriend us, we will be sorely disappointed (John 15:18–25). God promises that all who follow Christ and live as He did will be persecuted (1 Peter 4:12–14). But that does not permit us to treat others discourteously. 

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17–21

As Paul exhorts the Christians at Corinth (2 Corinthians 10:5), we demolish arguments that oppose God; we do not demolish people. We care deeply for people; we argue against unbiblical ideas.
 
This is not an exhaustive list of principles, and this is no simple topic. We know there are passionate voices on all sides. But these are just a few Biblical principles we use to guide how WCS approaches politics with our students.
 
Ultimately, we want our students to be faithful disciples of Christ, servant-leaders, lifelong learners, and creators and cultivators, long after they graduate from WCS. We want them to be lights in the darkness and the best and brightest in whatever fields God leads them to influence: education, law, medicine, science, the trades, the arts, and yes, even politics. Because to be like Christ is to make disciples who follow Christ. And making disciples also means making the world a little more like the way Christ intends it to be.
 
Next month, we’ll take a closer look at what this might look like in the classroom.

​Educating for Eternity,
Jonathan Nazigian
WCS Headmaster