In 1992, James Carville was a strategist in Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. He was trying to keep the campaign on message, so he hung a sign in the campaign headquarters that included the now famous phrase, “The economy, stupid.” The phrase has been expanded to, “It’s the economy, stupid,” and it is a cultural artifact of a different era.
While I do not endorse name-calling and would not refer to anyone as “stupid,” Christ-followers and churches need the kind of clarity Carville gave to the Clinton campaign. Everything we who claim to be Christ-followers do needs to filter through the lens of Jesus Christ. It’s implied in the name “Christian.” Yet many people struggle with this idea. Churches have even more trouble with keeping the focus on Jesus, especially at a time when multiple demands pull congregants’ attention away from Jesus.
Matthew Tennant
During this election season, thoughtful people have articulated the need for people of faith to engage in the political process. I wish to take nothing away from their ideas or proposals. In his insightful article, Edmond Davis calls for public safety and accountability. Will McCorkle is more pointed in his “White Christians Have Responsibility to Vote Against Trump’s Agenda.” In Mark Wingfield’s astute “Voting the Ten Commandments,” he writes, “If they were to take seriously the teachings of Jesus, they would have to abandon their lifelong party loyalty.”
This last example illustrates the positive side of my point. Taking Jesus’ teaching seriously will lead to action. “Faith without works is dead,” says James 2.14-26.
“No matter the outcome of this election, the world needs people of faith to let our lives reflect what we believe.”
No matter the outcome of this election, the world needs people of faith to let our lives reflect what we believe. This includes me. Everyone is a hypocrite. It’s just a matter of degree.
Letting our lives tell the story of our beliefs includes grace — extending it to ourselves, others and people in public life. According to Matthew, Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” While this election is important, it isn’t everything. For people of faith, following Jesus is everything.
The way Christ-followers love our neighbors, pray for those who persecute us and love our enemies is incredibly important. It tells everyone in our orbit what is important to us.
What people of faith do matters. People see it. Our example is a living and daily testimony of what we believe and value. On the one hand, if we show indifference to the world around us, we reflect an apathetic faith. If we show tolerance for hatred, alienation and isolation, we point to a God who is OK with these things. On the other hand, if we love, then we point to a God who loved the world so much — God gave Jesus, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. If we include outsiders, we point to the God who includes everyone.
Matthew has tons of examples of Jesus including outsiders. For example, chapter 1 recounts Jesus’ genealogy, and it includes Tamar, who was associated with a sexual scandal, the Canaanite prostitute Rahab, and Ruth the Moabite. For a Gospel focused on demonstrating that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, it sure has a lot of outsiders.
At a time of deep division, the easiest path is to find fellow members of one’s tribe and identify those who don’t belong. Following Jesus means the opposite, and it’s hard. There’s nothing easy about “loving your enemies.” I even have trouble praying for those who persecute me. However, as rich as the Gospels are, they don’t say that following Jesus is easy. Matthew 16:24 describes denying oneself to follow Jesus.
The current polarization in America will persist for a while. How long? I don’t know. I started writing Crossing the Lines We Draw, during a BNG retreat in 2017. I finished it in 2018, and Judson Press published it April 15, 2020. When I learned it would not come out until 2020, I was worried it would provide “faithful responses to a (previously) polarized America.” I was wrong. At the time of its publication, the January 6 insurrection was still in the distant, embattled future. And things seem to be getting worse.
We do not have to live in a world torn asunder. (See Isaiah 24:19.) The judgment of Isaiah 24 leads to the praise for deliverance of Isaiah 25, song of victory of Isaiah 26 and redemption in Isaiah 27. There is hope, and when we see the mudslinging, denigration and backbiting in politics, we do not have to join in. Christ-followers can point to sources of hope, and these are real, earthy and tangible actions people can take today. They are not some pie-in-the-sky promises for the “Sweet by and by.”
Look no further than the Beatitudes. For example, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are the meek” are invitations to humility. “Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness” is a screamed response for scandal-ridden politicians and public figures. Lying, cheating, bullying, infidelity and theft are antithetical to a “thirst for righteousness.” “Blessed are the peacemakers” can be a lived response to warmongers, and this is a desperate need at a time when futile wars are spreading.
In 1992, Carville’s sign gave a political campaign the focus it needed and helped the entire team stay on message. Maybe we need to hang signs in churches that say, “It’s all about Jesus, stupid.” I cannot advocate for including “stupid,” but I can concede that riffing off Carville’s 1992 message has a ring to it. Also, if adding the word “stupid” makes it more memorable, and the part people remember is “Jesus,” then it’s worth it.
Matthew Tennant serves as senior pastor of University Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Va. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman College, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and University of Oxford. He has written several books, including Crossing the Lines We Draw.