It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859).
If what little I know of heaven can be applied to all I don’t know, in the life to come we will not be pestered by politics. Until then, however, politics saturates life even at the level of the common man. Dickens’ lines, quoted above, have gained literary immortality precisely because they can be applied to every age — even our own.
Jim White
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As you have already discovered, no doubt, in this issue of the Herald we are attempting to speak to the challenges Christians face by living in a highly charged political climate. Politics are sometimes hopeful, sometimes despairing, but always challenging.
In this issue of the Herald you also will find another article on politics. This one was contemporary 150 years ago. Although it ostensibly presents itself as an account of what turned out to be an historic battle of ironclad vessels, the report betrays its political nature in bias language and in its deprecation of “the enemy.”
This report, which appeared in the March 13, 1862, edition of the Religious Herald, is an uncomfortable reminder that the political atmosphere in which we live and work affects the very way we think and certainly the way we act. Personal political perception is almost inescapably influenced by factors of the times (war, tradition, status quo, the economy) as well as by the lasting principles we value (truth, justice, equality of opportunity, freedom).
During the War between the States if the Herald’s editor could have seen the longer view and the greater good I wonder how different his reporting might have been. But being mired in the cultural perceptions of his day, he could not see beyond his times. Perhaps thinking he should is expecting too much.
Still, I cringe when I read the almost gleeful report of the multitude of Yankee dead and I think to myself, “Mr. Sands, you should have been able to see with greater clarity. At the very least, you should have been able to report with greater compassion.” I am tempted to apply the idiom of our day, “It is what it is.” But in truth, it isn’t. More exactly, “It is what it was.”
After all, it was a different age. Slavery was outlawed in England, but was still common in much of the world. We are appalled that the lash would ever be applied to any human being, but in this country it was commonly used in military punishments until the mid 1800s. Branding with hot irons and tattooing offenses on their bodies in prominent places were practiced until much later. Looking back, each age seems a little less brutal than the one preceding it.
Which brings me back to the present. Mr. Sands’ report serves to remind me that even Christian citizens can become blind to the inconsistencies between the world of politics and the words of Jesus. Like others who have gone before us, we can become so accustomed to injustice that we fail to recognize it for what it is. We can rightly demand compliance to law, but incomprehensively overlook injustices applied to immigrants. We can rightly defend the right of people to earn all they can, but conveniently ignore that some achieve wealth by manipulating a system that keeps others poor.
This election year will be the best of times. Ideas will be presented and discussed. The population (much of it anyway) will become energized by the political process. Some will once again have the audacity to hope that the future is more promising than today.
It will be the worst of times. Mud-slinging, name-calling and baby-kissing politicians will promise more than they can deliver. They will point fingers at members of the other party and proclaim them to be the enemy. They will gleefully report the other party’s mistakes and predict their demise. That’s politics.
But in the middle of it all we Christians have the opportunity and obligation to let our voices be heard on the campaign trails and in the ballot boxes. If we Christian citizens could see the long view and the greater good for all humanity, what would we try to change about the present? From the future vantage point of a century-and-a-half distance what do we allow now that will appall us then? If we take the words of Jesus and apply them generally, I think we will have some good clues.
But in truth all we can do is look and live in the light we now have. Let us do so, then, with all the wisdom and vision we can muster. Let us lay aside all prejudices we can identify. Let us do our own thinking rather than be swept along by a tide of opinionated companions. Let us have courage enough to stand for what is right and be compassionate enough to stand with the oppressed. In short, let the light and love of Christ illumine our choices. If we will, those who evaluate our words and deeds long decades hence will be proud of their forebears.