Political power can be good, actually

Christians should aspire to lead. Of course, I understand the position of those skeptical of this statement. C.S Lewis is surely correct when he insists that “Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows.” Aristotle famously rejected slavery because no men are “fit to be masters.”

But even putting aside “unchecked power,” all political power can be fool’s gold, appearing to be more than it is. Indeed, if there’s any lesson evangelicals should have learned over the past 50 years of political engagement, it’s that politics isn’t a silver bullet. Too often, we’ve spent our days trying to pick the bad fruits off the political tree instead of addressing the rotten cultural and spiritual roots that produced that fruit.

That said, minorities and babies are safer in this country as a result of Christians wielding political power. Acknowledging the inherent limits of political power is not the same as saying it should be avoided in toto. Contra to what we’ve been led to believe, power is a good thing when appropriately used.

In his book Playing God, Andy Crouch shows that far from being an obstacle to it, power is necessary for human flourishing:

“Remove power and you cut off life, the possibility of creating something new and better in this rich and recalcitrant world. Life is power. Power is life. And flourishing power leads to flourishing life. Of course, like life itself, power is nothing—worse than nothing—without love. But love without power is less than it was meant to be. Love without the capacity to make something of the world, without the ability to respond to and make room for the beloved’s flourishing, is frustrated love.”

This seems like an obvious point, but it’s worth consideration. Love, worked out in hospitality, requires the ability to change circumstances. Without resources and without power, one wouldn’t be able to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, or shelter the homeless.

Power isn’t a selfish or sinful goal when viewed as a means to an end. Power is a vehicle through which justice can be enacted. It’s a way to steward God’s good earth, which is our calling. As God’s vice-regents, we’re entrusted with power here and now—called to be stewards, using that power for the flourishing of all creation.

Now, extrapolate this principle from hospitality to politics: How will the slaves be made free or the vulnerable be protected if not by the use of power? Indeed, it’s only those with power who have the luxury to think they should avoid it. Can you imagine telling the civil rights leaders who were seeking to shape laws informed by the church’s teaching on equality that they shouldn’t mix “church and state?” Of course not!

Applying the Bible to every sphere of life (politics, art, family, etc.) isn’t involving the church in those areas; it’s involving Jesus. And it turns out that Jesus doesn’t just claim to be the King of the church, He’s King of the cosmos—which includes every square, even public ones.

As Abraham Kuyper taught us, the Bible speaks to every sphere of life—family, church, state, etc. A well-ordered society is one in which each sphere is in tune with God’s revelation, both special (i.e., Scripture) and general (i.e., natural law).

Of course, a pastor should not imprison a criminal in his vestry just as a mayor should not baptize the police chief. We must not confuse or conflate spheres. But acknowledging the discrete roles of these spheres does not mean that Scripture has nothing to say regarding each sphere, including the state. On the contrary, kings and all civil rulers are beckoned to rule justly and govern under the ultimate Lordship of Christ.

A separation between church and state is not the same as a separation between faith and state or religion and state. Philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff says it well: “Since the content of Christian theology goes far beyond church and devotional life to life as a whole, and since its addressees extend far beyond church members to humanity in general, its arena must be civil society.”

Jesus’s reign doesn’t end with quiet times and potlucks. It’s not bound to a building or an hour on Sunday. No, Jesus’ reign extends to the ends of creation. To the glory of God and for the good of our neighbors, Christians must pursue and use political power.