Red-Letter Christians

Does it bug you when people think you're like the Christians who eat up the airwaves with sales pitches and opinions and overwrought anger?  Does it bother you when the political party you favor takes your support for granted, even though you may have to hold your nose when you vote their way?

About 5 years ago, I had started to intentionally distance my self from the labels of "Conservative/Republican" and "Liberal/Progressive/Democrat."  They were messing up relationships before I could even get started.  You say, "I'm a Christian," and many people start thinking of someone famous, and what they do or don't like about that person.  Instead of taking you as you are.  And then I went to listen to Tony Campolo speak on the topic of Red-Letter Christianity, and he gave tongue to a lot of what was bugging me.   

He made an opening point that Jesus said in essence, "make disciples like me."  Jesus did not say, do it all the same way that St. Paul did in cities across the eastern Mediterranean.  God handed us those examples as a great set to start from and learn from, but didn't tell us to make more Pauls.  He also gave us all the stories of his work with the Israelis in the Old Testament to learn from, but he didn't say to ordain more Elijahs.  Tony's point was, if we want to be like Jesus, let's do kinda like Jesus did in those red-letter things in the New Testament:  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Focus there, use all the other stuff to help.

To be a Christian isn't to be a Democrat or a Republican.  To be a Christian is to be a Christian.  Too much of Christians' agendas are being set, it seems, by politicians and televangelists.  Rush Limbaugh says "Hop," and next thing you hear is Christians quoting him.  What the heck is that about?  Or John Stewart cranks out a great joke about the Republicans, and then...

You see what I mean.  The cart gets before the horse so easily.  And just FYI, you might be surprised to learn that while Tony "leans Democratic," he's hardly a party-line guy.  Refreshing.  Between the Lines. Right where God wants us.  Not locked up in a stereotype.

He also reminded us that talk is cheap on TV and in Washington.  Upset about teenage pregnancy?  Do more to physically help girls "in trouble" and spend less time carping about immoral youth.  (Side note:  last I checked, "youth" didn't invent "immorality.")  He's not saying "don't teach," he's saying "teach and do something."

I don't see many politicians doing anything but argue.  Doesn't that kinda discount their credibility with you?  Show me a man who's feeding the homeless out of his pocket, and I'll show you a man I want to hear from about public-funded assistance for the poor.  He's got a hand in the game.

Lots of organizations - political, religious, business - claim to speak for me and you.  Truth is, none of them do. Got an opinion on something in the public arena?  Call, write or visit your Senator.  (They spend a lot of time back home; check it out.)  Look, your call directly to them is better for them than all those polls you hear about.  (I'm not making that up; I've heard that over and over, in person, from long-experienced Capitol Hill people.)  If you don't speak, it's hardly their fault if they misrepresent you.

Tony Campolo ticks me off every time he opens his mouth, but he makes me think.  (I like that part.)  He makes gigantic sound-bite suggestions about public policy, but I don't think he has a clue just how hard it is to craft a consistent, fair, practical public policy on anything.  (I've done some of this in my previous line of work, and it ain't ever as easy as the pundits, including Tony, think it is.)  And it's OK for him to set out some solution to a problem, particularly where he's backing it up with his own actions and money.  It may not work on a big scale, but how cool that it's working on a smaller scale?

I can find a half-dozen topics where I would be opposed to Tony's ideas, on both theological and practical grounds.  I still enjoy his writing and his thinking.  My ideas may be out to lunch, and he may help me see that.  He's conversational, approachable, helpful - someone we could all use from time to time.