Growing up as a Christian in America, whenever politics came up in conversation, my response was typically, “I hate politics,” and then the conversation would move on to something more important, like football.
Like me, many American Christians tend to be politically disinterested. I was visiting a church recently where the pastor explained why he doesn’t generally preach about political issues. He said, “Our hope is not in any politician, our hope is in Jesus. Politics does not change hearts, revival does.”
It’s true that our hope is in Jesus, not Donald Trump, but does engaging in politics really close the door to revival?
Give to Caesar What Belongs to Caesar
When Jesus is asked whether or not to pay taxes to the government, he replies “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17, NIV).
Much of the American church has interpreted this to mean that there should be some sort of separation between the church and the state. Seventy percent of people surveyed agree that “churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics.”
The rise of the “seeker-friendly” church model has also led an increasing number of churches across America to avoid politically controversial teachings in order to appeal to as many people as possible.
When it comes to Mark 12:17, though, the context matters. When Jesus says “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar,” he is referring to tax policy. Similarly, 15 years ago, the most pressing political issue of the
