The Church in a Divided America. Recently, Barna Associates published a survey result called, "Does A Divided Public Look to Pastors for Guidance?" (https://www.barna.com/research/midterms-pastors-guidance/) (October 19, 2022). Unsurprisingly, Barna found that the majority of the American public look to government or themselves for guidance and answers to the current divided agendas. The American Christian public will seek guidance from pastors and other Christian leaders as well. There are always many ways to look at these survey results. Here are some of the ways I look at this.
The Church is not (and should not) be in the business of political infighting or resolution. The Church is charged by Jesus Christ with the proclamation and dissemination of the gospel message, that repentance and faith in Christ is the only way to really change and transform a heart or many hearts. Our mission and mandate is to respect and honor governmental leaders and institutions, but only to a point. We are not to become political allies or servants of a political party or parties. We are to keep the main thing the main thing in our witness and contact with the world. To go beyond biblical teaching and dissemination is not to be the purview of the Church.
Individual transformational change by the grace of God in Christ Jesus is the only final solution to infighting of any kind. The heart must be changed for the head to be different. We are to think God's thoughts after him--not before him, not in addition to him, not above him, not in place of him. For this to happen, the center of our being must be radically transformed, from the inside out. This has always been the message and mandate of Christian pastors and the church.
Do such changes make divisions disappear? Unfortunately no, due to remaining sin and selfishness in us. But such changes, when they are sincere and real, make divisions less divisive and less offensive and easier to navigate. I remember days when we could have town and church debates without heckling one another or fighting with one another or shooting one another. We respected one another. I am saying that we must regain respect and honor of one another, and such perspectives come from a heart wedded to Jesus and his Word.
The fact that most of the public see themselves as the ultimate solution to our divisions (40+ percent) betrays the source of those divisions. We want our way, and only our way to be the final solution. This cannot happen apart from the above transformative thinking that I have stated. We do not trust anyone except ourselves, and that is the root of all corporate problems in America. We cannot solve what we have created and what we sponsor and fight for. We need Jesus!
