Christ Alone: A Call to Faithful Resistance
Introduction
As followers of Jesus, we believe that our prophetic voice must ring clear and true in a time of fear and capitulation in both the Church and in our civic life. While we acknowledge the tendency towards governmental overreach by both political parties and so would speak with the same conviction regardless of which party was in power, in this moment we specifically call on the Church and peoples across the political spectrum to recognize the clear and present danger of rising authoritarian rule to all of us, especially the most vulnerable.
Left unchecked, we risk the demise of democracy itself, the threat of forcible subjugation of our neighbors, and the discrediting of the Church’s witness due to silence, complicity, or allegiance to worldly power. Therefore, we offer five affirmations, rejections, and commitments to point the Church towards renewed faithfulness to Christ:
- Lordship: We affirm before God and the Church our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone, and not to any leader, ideology, or political entity that exalts itself as sovereign. We reject the conflation of the gospel of Jesus with national identity for the purpose of justifying partisan ideology. We commit to ongoing and concerted prayer for our political leaders, recognizing that our struggle is not against persons but against spiritual powers and principalities.
- Power: We affirm that God’s love is supremely manifested in God’s Son, who did not exploit power but arrived in a humble manger and died a sacrificial death on the Cross for our salvation. We reject the accumulation and consolidation of political power as a clear abuse of democratic norms as well as a violation of the biblical call to serve rather than lord it over others. We commit to holding our political leaders accountable and practicing leadership in the Church that submits itself to transparency and accountability.
- Imago Dei: We affirm the inherent dignity of each and every human being as made in the image of God, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, or citizenship status. We reject dehumanizing rhetoric and violence that seek to forcibly harm, separate, or deport immigrants without due process. We commit to civil discourse and compassionate care that honors all persons as image-bearers, including those with whom we disagree.
- Truth: We affirm that the Bible stands as our sure and final source of authority, and that all truth claims must be tested against the Scriptures. We reject the use of falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims for political gain, slander against opponents, and the suppression of free speech or dissent. We commit to only speaking, sharing, and posting statements that have been reasonably verified as true and trustworthy.
- Economy: We affirm that God’s purpose for money is for human flourishing and serving those in need. Because of Jesus’ challenge that it is impossible to serve both God and money, we reject greed and the use of power and influence for financial gain or political leverage. We commit to generously stewarding God’s resources for the common good and for the most vulnerable.
Conclusion
We commit ourselves to resisting cruel or oppressive means of control and to standing in solidarity with the oppressed, the marginalized, and the silenced. We do so not out of loyalty to any party, but out of faith in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ.