Salty Politics
Recently, on In Conversation With… we interviewed Dr. Miranda Zapor Cruz about her new book Faithful Politics. It’s a great book, grab yourself a copy. (If you missed the conversation make sure you subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.) This post explores a framework offered in the book and its possible applications to our current political climate.
Salty Politics vs. Bland Politics
In Faithful Politics, Dr. Cruz offers contrasting visions of political engagement based on the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” The call to be salt and light is woven throughout the ethical vision of this Sermon. Jesus, offering a rich commentary on the Ten Commandments, paints a vivid picture of the redemptive ethics of God’s kingdom. To be a follower of Jesus is to be salty and shiny.
Jesus’ followers are to be transformative and additive to the world. Like salt and light, they should change and enhance the world around them. If they lose their saltiness and do not flavor or preserve the world, what use are they? How will the world know they are citizens of the kingdom of God if they merely live and act as citizens of earthly kingdoms? Thus comes Cruz’s emphasis on learning to engage in salty political behavior vs. bland political behavior. Saltiness demonstrates our distinctness to the world and transforms the communities, movements, and parties we participate in. Blandness, however, well…. who craves blandness?
The cost of political blandness within the church is starkly evident in our current moment. Political blandness leaves us trapped in the false dichotomy of a two-party system. We pick a side, defend it against our enemies, and work to align our theology with the platforms and practices of our preferred party. Our bland engagement adds no flavor or light to our country's increasingly volatile partisan politics. Instead of calling our leaders and politicians to find better solutions to real problems, changing the nature of dialogue and discourse, and promoting healing, the American church has been absorbed into the chaos and outrage. Our call to be salt and light is a higher calling with a greater purpose than merely existing as a voting block to be wooed. This should concern us all and motivate us to change.
Here are some examples of political blandness:
Complete alignment with political parties
Placing one’s political party entirely within the kingdom of God
Justifying ideologies rather than discerning their worth
Enemy making
Limiting interactions to political echo chambers
Language and communications that dehumanize political opponents
Uncritical acceptance of policies and platforms
Salty Political Practices
“Salty party participation starts with Christian discipleship. We must begin with our faith, not with our political ideologies or policy positions. This is challenging because we already have political opinions, so we are subject to confirmation bias that reinforces those opinions. We become salty as we grow in Christlikeness and yield ourselves to the values of the Kingdom, which will inevitably conflict with the values of party or country.”1
Cruz emphasizes that saltiness results from spiritual transformation, which requires us to think and act critically in the world. Salty political engagement requires us to move beyond bland or uncritical adherence to any political party or ideology. Unexamined participation in polarized politics will move us out of love of our neighbor into behaviors that directly contradict the ethics of God’s kingdom. “Bland partisanship frequently goes beyond intuitive learning to disagreement, hostility, and even visceral hate…. For Christians, blandness can feel like self-righteousness when we identify an enemy and justify aggression as defense of our faith.”2
So, how do we cultivate salty political engagement, resist blandness, and weave critical examination into our political lives? Current political practices within the American Church reveal a propensity toward blandness. If Cruz is right and this is primarily a discipleship issue, we must commit to different spiritual formation practices designed to draw us out of blandness and into critical engagement. Our world and political parties are discipling us to blandness.
Hold our political identities loosely
Political identities aren’t problematic until they become a core identity, displacing our identity as followers of Jesus. Any political ideology that claims to fully represent God, to be in alignment with or the fulfillment of the kingdom of God, or declares the opposing party as evil is looking to displace Jesus as lord of our lives. Jesus is Lord over all and demands our complete allegiance.
Question everything
Walter Brueggemann talks about the Prophetic Imagination of the people of God living inside of empires. A people rooted and established in the love of God have a redemptive imagination for the world. We can imagine means of transformation and reconciliation available through God's power that are often hidden from the world. So, whatever policies we encounter from our preferred political parties or others, we should ask whether they reflect God's love and contribute to human flourishing. Romans 13:10 reminds us, “Love does no harm to a neighbor.”
Take seriously the call to be peacemakers
A few verses before the call to be salty and shiny, Jesus names the blessings of God that exist for peacemakers. James, the brother of Jesus, in his reflection on the ethical lives of God’s people, says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”3 Centering this calling in our politics will allow us to add salt to all conversations around violence, warfare, and conflict. When the world cannot imagine any response to conflict other than dropping bombs and waging war, peacemakers add a much-needed flavor and shine a light on the costs of the never-ending cycle of violence. We must critically ask ourselves, are we being discipled into peace-making?
Participate in communities of learning and dialogue
At the heart of our work at Ideos is to bring people together and equip them to cultivate empathy and understanding through storytelling and dialogue. Living in an attached community with those who see the world differently than you is a significant factor in developing critical thinking skills. We must learn to listen well, speak with charity, and embody Christlike humility. Nothing is saltier than listening, humility, and charitable dialogue! As part of The (Re)union Project, we are launching cohorts of Unity Groups to create space for community, listening, dialogue, and peer-to-peer learning. They will be perfect for those who want to grow saltier. Stay tuned for more information to come!
Check Out Some Salty Political Resources
A big part of The (Re)union Project is the creation and gathering together of resources that will help us live as salt and light in the world. To this end, we are actively working to expand our training and resources and offer them in different languages!
During this campaign, we are hearing from Saints around the world asking how they, too, can participate in their own 31 Days of Unity. Your support can help us reach even more Christians here at home, as well as Saints around the world. Your recurring gift of $10, $25 or $50 can help us reach another 1,000 Christians desperate for messages of hope, peace, and unity in places of conflict and turbulent environments.
Give here.
Ideos certainly isn’t alone. Many outstanding organizations are cultivating this work, many of whom are partnering with us in the 31 Days of Unity Campaign and The (Re)union Project. If you are looking for personal growth, community action, or group learning, we have resources that can help. Make sure and check out the resource library. Here are some great resources to check out.
The Official 31 Days of Unity Listening Guide
Our friends at The Future of Faith created this gorgeous and rich Sacred Listening tool. Want to learn how to listen better, transform debates into dialogue, and engage in conversations? The Fostering Empathy and Unity Sacred Listening Tool can help reframe that dynamic.
This tool encourages you to focus on understanding and connection rather than who’s right or wrong. Listening with empathy creates a space where others feel valued, respected, and truly heard.
Attaching to God Summit - Starting October 15!
Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw, hosts of the Attaching to God podcast, have put together a virtual summit focusing on growing emotional and spiritual health. Saltiness begins with a deep connection with God that transforms us. Yet, this attachment is often disordered, sabotaging our spiritual growth and leaving us spiritually immature. It will include expert speaker-led sessions where you can hear from biblical scholars and theologians, therapists and counselors, and spiritual directors and pastors, bringing together ancient wisdom and mental health. This free online Summit is taking place this week, October 15-17. Register here
A People, A Place, and A Just Society
Our friends at Arrabon created this app-based Bible study. Available in two parts, A People, a Place, and a Just Society is the biblically grounded resource your community needs to pursue Christ-likeness in the areas of race, justice, and peace-making. From Genesis to Revelation, your community will engage these topics on the unifying ground of Scripture—finding wisdom, gaining discernment, and pursuing faithful action.
Reckoning With Power
This book by David Fitch seeks to expand our understanding of power as it relates to the kingdom of God. Contrasting worldly power (power over) with God’s power (power with) Dr. Fitch adds salt to many of the theological and political conversations taking place today.
Cruz, Faithful Politics, p. 56
Cruz, Faithful Politics, p.54,56
James 3:18