Confusing Political and Spiritual Kingdoms

It is difficult at times to figure out what view a Christian should take on political matters. That Christians should vote based on their theological and ethical principles is certain, but how that gets worked out in reality is a lot more complex and nuanced.

From time to time Chuck Colson speaks wisely to these matters. His recent column does this pretty well. In it he writes:

With the presidential election finally over and with the re-election of
President Bush, some are thinking, “Hallelujah! We have a president who’s going to promote a godly moral agenda. All is well because we’ve won.”

If that’s what you’re thinking, it’s time for a serious reality check. The kingdom of God will not arrive on Air Force One…

I have often thought that many pastors confuse kingdoms and assume America is synonymous with the Kingdom of God. Sometimes I feel like we are being asked to worship the American flag placed neatly next to the “Christian flag” on the platform. We need to be careful about these matters and do our best to distinguish the One who will never do evil or fail us, and those political figures who are just as fallible and broken as we are.