I appreciate the sentiments. I agree with almost all of
them. But I don’t like the label.
I am not a part of the “Christian Left.” I am a Christian.
If THAT term offends you, and I can well believe it might in these deeply
divided and heretical times, then I’m okay with “Jesus Follower” too. But I’m
not a part of the left in terms of adhering to a particular political ideology.
I believe that I stand in a long theological tradition that encompasses most
mainline Christian Protestant denominations, much of the Catholic Church, and
many evangelical Christian churches before, say, 1980 or so. You can look it up
if you don’t believe me. “Evangelical” in 2019 looks very little like
“Evangelical” in 1979.
The problem with the political label is that it assumes a
frame of reference, a worldview, that is wildly inaccurate. That’s not to say
that there is not overlap between the American political left and my theology,
which is formed by some 45 years of trying to suss out just how all this Jesus
stuff, circa AD 30, is meant to play out
in God’s Own U.S. of A, circa 2019. But the sources and inspirations – Jesus and
political platforms - are not equal, and the emphases are very different. As a
Christian, some of my beliefs are shared with the American political left and
some of my beliefs are shared with the American political right. This is
axiomatic, as far as I’m concerned, because neither major American party comes
close to representing the concerns and issues that were most important to Jesus,
and as a Christian I try to take my cues from Jesus.
That is also not to suggest that I think both major American
political parties are equally Jesus-y and equally non-Jesus-y. I don’t believe
that. Can you guess where I might land on that? But that’s part of the sussing
process. I do the best I can. In any event, I am a Christian. Full stop. No
other label appendage needed or wanted.
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