Politics as (un)usual

The presidential elections are right around the corner and conversations about who will be our next political savior have begun to reach their climax. Promises are made by both parties and expectations rise as we place our hope in our favorite presidential candidate.

Whoever we vote for, and whatever our political affiliations are, I thinks it’s safe to say most Americans have at least some level of distrust for “politics as usual.”

Whenever the election cycle heats up, I find myself agreeing we do need change. We do need hope. We do need a hero who will change the world around us and bring a greater level of stability to our lives. Unfortunately, I always seem to feel that all of the candidates we hope will accomplish these tasks don’t quite cut it on all levels.

The situation is very similar to when Jesus entered the “political” scene almost 2,000 years ago. People were fed up with their impoverished lives, political oppression, broken promises and stagnation. They wanted a political savior who would solve their problems, usher in a new era of freedom and bring prosperity.

As Jesus grew in popularity they placed their hope and expectations on him to accomplish those things and bring a new physical reality of political power.

You can imagine their disappointment, then, when their hero suddenly went from the spotlight to the Roman cross because of political tensions. As far as the public was concerned, Jesus ended up being a disappointment. He was supposed to change the political landscape and be a savior. Instead, he died the death of a criminal.

But Jesus was so much more than merely the political hero they were looking for. They had set their sights too low in hoping for a man who would usher in political freedom and economic prosperity.

Jesus accomplished far more than just creating a new physical reality of political power, he created a new spiritual reality where we can once again be in relationship with the God who created us and loves us deeply.