From identity politics to Make America Great Again, our modern political age thrives on outrage, shock, and increasing hostility toward our neighbors. In the new book Politically Incorrect: Real Faith In An Era of Unreal Politics, JB Shreve explores how we got here, how bad it has become, and what Christians must do next.
Today’s widespread frustration is the story of failed worldviews, hopelessly rooted in political ideologies to answer the daunting issues of life.
As deaths of despair, broken homes, and collapsing lives pervade our confused and toxic landscape, the hope of the Kingdom of God should be witnessing a harvest among the lost and hurting. Yet when the world looks to the Church today, they often see little more than another platform for political arguments and hypocrisy.
But God has preserved a remnant! Faithful believers remain who see beyond the chaos of the age and into the ultimate purposes of His Kingdom. This book is written to encourage the faithful to lift up their eyes and see the hope God is offering today. It is a pathway out of the chaos of darkness and into the promise of God’s hope of the Light!
Politically Incorrect: Real Faith In An Era of Unreal Politics was written for easy reading, with all 23 chapters packed full of informed wisdom that explores current events, modern political history, and deep Biblical insight into God’s design and calling for His people.
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To paraphrase former President Ronald Reagan, politics cannot solve the problems of our age because politics are the problem!
Christian engagement with politics is not new and did not begin with modern perceptions of the Christian Right.
The modern iteration of Christian political engagement was a response to extreme social changes and excesses of the 1960s and 70s.
The Christian Right became a formidable contender in American politics, quickly drifting toward a greater focus on building and retaining power rather than the Biblical mandate to be the salt of the earth.
When political power became a higher priority than Biblically-based ethics and values, the darkness of this world began to corrupt the
When we predicate our worldview upon politics, dysfunction emerges because this perception is out of sync with the design of God.
When we recognize that behind the chaos lies the unfolding purposes of God, we see a design far more profound than the modern political tumult leads us to believe.
The frustration felt in modern society is symptomatic of a deeply flawed system of politics and economics.
The sense of a dark, chaotic moment in our history goes deeper than political protests and touches the very souls of individuals and homes seeking to navigate these troubled times.
We are more connected than ever before while feeling isolated and alone. We are more informed but less trusting. We are more intelligent but more easily deceived.
It would seem the condition of the lost and hurting human souls living amid such darkness would be fertile soil for the message of the Kingdom of God. But as Jesus observed, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Isaiah 60 describes a unique image of two mutually exclusive realities unfolding simultaneously. Deep darkness covered the earth and its people, even as the light of the glory of God ascended upon His people.
Behind every front where we see political chaos and anxiety today lies the ultimate question – Who is in charge?
The nature of our response to the chaos of the age is as important as our understanding of the reality behind it.
Once we realize that the real struggle of our age is about who is in charge, we understand why politics, the pursuit and distribution of power, is so prevalent in our cultural debates and narratives.
God has always desired His own people who would carry His name and values in the earth through a lifestyle of obedience.
The contest for power to secure self-interests is the basis for all earth-based politics and their corresponding policies and drama, from elections to wars.
Genesis 3-15 describes two competing value systems in the earth after the fall of man. These two competing systems defined the beginning of the nations of this world versus the Nation (Kingdom) of God.
In the events of Abraham’s life recorded from Genesis 12-15, we find the establishment of a lifestyle and value system that directly contrasts against the nations of this world.
Just as the nations of this world have their foundational elements and values, so does the nation (or Kingdom of God).
While we find American history filled with individuals and groups who pursued the Kingdom of God, there is a distinct difference between the nations of this world and the Nation of God.
While there is a fundamental difference between the nations of this world and the Nation of God, scripture describes a path of blessing and favor when the nations of this world embrace the values of God. Our role as believers is vital in this arena.
When we see the reality of what God is doing today, the surrounding chaos is no longer a source of anxiety, anger, or fear. It is a cause for joy.