The State of the Union: A Brief Assesment
On Tuesday night President Obama delivered his constitutionally mandated State of the Union Address. Every year this foray in D.C. theatrics promises to be full of inspiring pomp and circumstance, high-flying political promises, and mind-blowing partisanship. The partisanship was a little difficult to discern, however, as the traditional party-line seating arrangements have been replaced by seating clusters based on home states. This may be conducive to a more “non-partisan” feel, but it is not as comical as half the room giving a standing ovation for every statement while the other half sits on their hands.
This year’s State of the Union Address was tempered by the reality that the vast majority of Americans feel that the country is headed in the wrong direction. Additionally, the fact that the campaign season is already underway made for a more charged and contentious atmosphere. However, when taken as a whole, this year’s edition was surprisingly bland. There was the usual laundry list of promises. Most of which sound popular but likely won’t come into being. And there was the typical partisan jabs and finger-pointing that have become so commonplace on Capitol Hill. But there weren’t many highly memorable moments in the address. All in all, it is safe to say that the state of our union is similar to what it has been for quite some time now.
So, how should a Christian view this speech? Putting aside our own personal biases for just a moment, I think this occasion gives us an opportunity to reflect on a few principles of Christian civic engagement. Many of us approach politics like a presidential state of the union address. We have a litany of things that we would like to see accomplished, and we are quite confident that if they were to be passed our nation would be a much better place to live. But the hard reality is that most of the items on our political to-do list will never get accomplished. And, even if they were to be passed, it would not transform our country into the idyllic paradise that we envision. This is because we still live in a sin ravaged world. One in which all of creation rebels against the Creator. No amount of laws or policies will change the state of the human heart.
What then are we to do? Retreat into our churches, waiting for the Second Coming? Hardly. We are to keep fighting for the policies we believe would be better for our country. Keep advocating for the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden. Keep demonstrating to this world what biblical justice looks like. Our motivation, however, is not to tidy up our little corner of the world so we can live more comfortably. Rather it should be to show a broken and hurting world what the Savior looks like. Passing just laws will not justify the sinner, but the manner in which we advocate for such laws can show the world a glimpse of His love and perfection. Ultimately we will never fix all the problems in our world, but by taking on some of them we will be the tools God uses to bring more people into a saving relationship with His Son.
