faith and politics friday 5

from across the pond in the wake of a well-publicized election with a hung outcome, Sally outlines 5 about faith and politics for today. Originally I blogged in purple that's not red, not blue yet a subversive combining of both.

to play this one even semi-adequately would take forever, so here are my quick answers for now.

1. "Jesus a political figure: discuss..."

My response to 2. helps answer this one, but Jesus was completely human and the Way of Jesus is comprehensive, so you cannot omit any facet of life from consideration of Jesus or from your own journey.

2. "Politics in the pulpit,"

Yes, to encourage everyone to participate in ongoing processes of local, state/provincial and national government because to be human is to be a citizen denizen, part of a polis, a people, so you cannot not be political. But never to advise voting or activity on behalf of a particular party, candidate, issue or cause. God does not belong to a particular party or style of governing; in fact God is not proprietary at all. However, I'd definitely encourage people to pray and perceive in order to discern the best ways justice, integrity and dignity for all creation can be achieved.

3. "What are your thoughts on the place of prayer in public life..."

No, not, though there's a longer, more detailed answer, needless to say!

4. "Is there a political figure, Christian or otherwise that you admire for their integrity?"

So very many in terms of both integrity and results! Ted Kennedy, the late senior senator from Massachusetts; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Mahatma Gandhi; Nelson Mandela—all of them very public about their faith, but doubtless I'll remember many others after I post this.

5. "What are your thoughts on tactical voting, e.g. would you vote for one individual/party just to keep another individual/ party form gaining power?"

It would depend on the urgency of the situation. One doesn't need to have achieved much chronology in order to discover very few, if any, politicians ever are able to fulfill many of their campaign promises and few of them are as skilled and able at negotiation and healthy compromise as public or politicians would desire.