By Nick Morgan, Contributing Writer
The idea of American citizens seeing politics as an idol is not a new problem, but it is a growing problem. In recent years, more and more people have become quick to believe that their hope and faith in humanity is lost based on whether or not their political party lost an important election. When Donald Trump defeated former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton on Nov 8, 2016 to win the presidency, social media and even some reputable news outlets blew up with disdain for the new president, calling for protests and revolt across America. People had genuinely lost hope and continue to fear for our future. This all seems relatively justifiable, but upon closer examination of the reasons behind their fear and hopelessness, it became clearer that politics have become an idol to many Americans.
If we place our hope and trust in something other than Jesus, then we fall victims to creating a false idol, whether it is intentional or not. Those things will inevitably fail us when we put the same kind of hope in our political leaders and policies that were once stored away for God and the work of His Kingdom.
A common misconception is that idols are strictly tangible things, but the reality is that idols can also be ideas or actions of the heart. Creating an idol of politics is no different. Idolatry is an extremely dangerous sin, but we all end up falling victim to it at some point. Everything that is not of God raises itself up against God, even in the life of a Christian, so we constantly have idols pop up in our lives. We have to intentionally and continually cast these idols down, but they will be here as long as we live here on earth.
Another danger of political idolatry is that it becomes extremely easy to see our brothers and sisters in Christ on the other side of the political aisle as the enemy and the opposition. This creates a divide that is difficult to overcome, not just in the country, but also in our churches and social circles. When we begin to see these people as our enemy, we are not doing anything for the unification of the church that we all cry out for, but rather, we become a catalyst for even more division.
When election season rolls around every four years, some people immediately become fearful for their children’s and their own future if it so happens that the opposing party wins the election. This happened when the Obama administration took office and when the Bush administration moved in. While issues such as education and healthcare are extremely important to our society, as Christians, we must keep our eyes above the fray and realize our hope is not in these policies. We should not fear for our futures because they are sealed in Christ. When our idols are compromised, then we become fearful, therefore fear is a key sign and component of idolatry.
I must clear up that this is not a call to reject politics and become naïve, but it is a call to aggressively combat this issue that has swept our nation. Reject idolatry and the fear that it comes with. Do not place your hope in man, but rather, place it in the one thing that will never fail you, the one person who keeps His promises and the one who loves you exponentially more than any politician ever could.
Let us remember the words that Jesus says in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”