When someone asks me what the Bible says about X, Y or Z, the answer often is both a little and a lot. That’s because it’s sometimes hard to say what the Bible would say about a specific policy proposal being debated in Congress. That said, the Bible has a great deal to say about the values that should be considered in formulating the legislation or setting the policy. Here are a few examples:

The Bible makes it clear we’re to care for the poor. In ancient Israel there were political and social policies that provided for those unable to work. Then, like now, the goal was not to perpetuate dependency but to look for ways to help people find economic stability. The good news in our day is that worldwide poverty has dramatically declined. The bad news is that it still exists. But we must not become weary of doing what we can to lift all out of poverty.

Another issue the Bible frequently mentions is the plight of the immigrant. The Israelites had once been immigrants themselves and the Old Testament prophets frequently reminded them of their obligation to do what they could to protect the “strangers” among them. The policy issues today are complicated and there are no easy answers. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to implement a compassionate immigration policy that include respect for the God-given dignity of every person, that secures our national borders, and provides a legal path to citizenship that keeps families together.

In addition, we know that…

• The Bible cares about life, not just protecting life until birth, but beyond it as well. That means being concerned about issues like the death penalty and euthanasia as well.
• We should be concerned about caring for our creation, understanding that we don’t own this planet, but have been entrusted by God to take care of it.
• We need to be concerned about the families and children, understanding that not only has God intended to place us in families, but that stable families are of great importance in promoting positive social outcomes.
• We must be concerned about the systemic racism that continues to plague our nation. We have a tragic history and while we’ve made progress, much remains to be done. We must work to build bridges of relationship and gain new levels of understanding, working diligently to remove structural racism. 
• We need to be concerned with economic injustice and recognize that while some inequality is inevitable, with too much societies fail to flourish.
• We should be concerned about religious freedom, not just because at times we might feel threated, but because people of all faiths should be free to worship and live out their convictions without government interference.
• And we ought to be concerned about wise foreign policy, knowing that God considers people everywhere our neighbors and has called us to be peacemakers.

This list is just nine policy areas, each one difficult and challenging and controversial. It would be impossible to come up with a single position on any one of these that would satisfy everyone. But if we look to the Bible it is possible to narrow the options. Then we can advocate with those in positions of responsibility to consider the values important in each area.

Beyond identifying the principles and values that ought to guide policy formation, what then should be City Church’s relationship with politics?

• We will be the church, not a political action committee. The church is not a political party. As followers of Jesus our ultimate allegiance to him, not to a political party or one of its leaders. We must have a deep and faithful commitment to the mission Jesus has given us; to love God and love others. The primary task of the church is not political advocacy, but to be the church. We will not allow our mission to be driven by a specific political agenda.
• We will teach the Bible, not be driven by issues. Our primary practice is to teach through sections of the Bible, dealing with issues as they surface. If we changed the teaching plan for each bit of breaking news, we’d talk about politics nearly every week. Teaching systematically through the Bible grounds us in the values God cares about.
• We expect a diversity of views: Our collective commitment is to look to the Bible, not popular opinion for our values. But even if we share a common set of principles, we’ll all see things a little differently. That’s okay. 
• We will uphold the dignity and worth of every human being: Imagine what it would be like if we had the “right” people in office, and the right policies, laws, and regulations were on the books. Would everything be perfect?Unfortunately, no. While in general, good government brings good and bad government does harm, someone choosing to do good can overcome a bad law and make the world a better place. And someone choosing to misbehave within a good system can cause great harm. 

If we live the way Jesus asks us to live by putting God first and loving others, just imagine what would change. Every child would have a stable and loving home and a good education; exploitive sexual images would vanish; the poor would be fed, and immigrants would rebuild their lives in a community where they were welcomed with love, all without changing a single law. Change can happen without changed policies. Change happens when our hearts are changed. And changed hearts can change our communities. It’s better is to build a culture that values the things God cares about, where people, led by the Holy Spirit, naturally do what is right.  <to be continued…>