Every generation, it seems that some Christians get stirred up about the political sphere and put their energy into bringing political change to the nation. A burst of activity occurred in the 1990s when MMP was introduced in New Zealand, but unfortunately, two parties split the Christian vote and both failed to get over the 5 percent threshold needed to get into Parliament, so their efforts failed to have an impact and gradually fizzled out.
Another surge of political interest is happening now, but there are some dangers in this activity that Christians need to be aware of.
Achieving influence in the political sphere takes time, energy, and persistence. Many Christians look for quick results, but building up political support takes consistent effort over time.
Jeanette Fitzsimons, who became the leader of the Greens Party in New Zealand is an interesting example. In her late twenties, she was overseas, working in Geneva when she heard about the establishment of a Values Party, so she returned home in 1974 and joined the party. She unsuccessfully contested every election for the next twenty years, but was finally elected to Parliament representing the Green Party in 1996. She served as an MP representing a minority party for the next 15 years. I am not sure if she was happy with what she achieved, but it took a lifetime of effort.
Unfortunately, very few Christians are willing to put a lifetime of effort to achieve limited political success, especially if the going is tough. Most try for a while and then give up, so not surprisingly, the Christian influence in the political sphere is declining.
Many Christians take Daniel and Joseph as their example, but they have an unrealistic understanding of what these men achieved. Their influence was limited because they had to submit to the will of the emperor of the empire that they served. Joseph implemented policies that took the Egyptian people from independent landowners to being serfs controlled by the emperor. No Christian would want to do that.
Many Christians want to be Josephs and Daniels gaining access to political leaders to gain influence over them. They believe that by getting the ear of politicians, they will be able to influence political power in the direction that God wants it to go. The problem with this desire to influence political power is the nature of the relationship (see Joseph/Daniel Calling).
Christians wanting to engage in politics often appeal to the example of William Wilberforce, a UK Christian who led the fight against the slave trade. Under his leadership, the slave trade was eventually abolished in England.
The irony is that Christians have to go back to Victorian England to find an example to justify their political activity. The reason is that Christian political efforts have had very limited results for their efforts over the years. It is hard to think of any political innovations in New Zealand history that were led by Christians in politics. Most of the big transformations were driven by secular leaders.
Wilberforce is not an appropriate example, because he operated at a time when the tide was flowing with him. Enlightenment education produced a high view of humans, so the thought of enslaving humans became an anathema. Wilberforce was able to gather the support of secular leaders because they were travelling in the same direction.
In our time, Christian political leaders will be working against the flow of ideas that prevail in this season. They will not be able to get the support of secular leaders for their causes. This means that they will be unlikely to achieve the success that Wilberforce attained.
While they are a minority, Christian politics will have to put their efforts into opposing changes they do not like. That is fine, if that is what they want to do, but they should go into politics understanding the tough battle they will face.
Politics is an incredibly tough game. It will be a fiery furnace for most Christians, as the news media will be extremely hostile to them. Back in 2002, half a dozen Christians entered parliament with the United Future Party. Most were mature Christian leaders (two had been senior leaders in YWAM), but they were monstered by the news media, and they mostly faded quietly away.
Politics is not for the faint-hearted. Christians who choose to get involved in politics should understand the ruthless game they are playing and be prepared with strong emotional support and spiritual protection.
Christian who get involved in politics are usually obsessed with the big four social issues, and particularly abortion. The problem is that this limits their ability to have an influence on other issues, because they are perceived as negative people, without a vision for how society could be transformed for the benefit of everyone. The big four social issues are not high on the radar of political leaders. These issues divide people, so politicians prefer to avoid them. Parliament tends to deal with them once every generation, but in between, no one will touch them. In New Zealand, we have just been through a cycle of dealing with these issues, so it is unlikely that politicians will touch them for at least the next twenty years.
People who go into parliament to being change on these issues will find that the horse has bolted and that their concerns are not relevant to most political leaders. They are focussed on issues that they see as being more important, such as economic development, poverty, health care and the environment. People who are only interested in the big four social issues will not be of much help to them.
Government Bureaucracy
A second way for Christians to have an influence in the government sphere is to get employment in the Public Service. The staff of government departments have a big impact on policy development. Based on my thirty year's experience working in a government department, I have the following observations.
To gain influence in a policy agency, a Christian will need to be smart, because some very clever people work in government departments. They have often been studying issues for many years, and have a good understanding of the various approaches to a problem. To get their ideas heard, a Christian will need to be able to match the other clever people. In my experience, many Christians get side-lined in government agencies, because their contribution is mediocre.
To have influence in a policy agency, a Christian will need a good degree in economics, social policy, or other relevant discipline. Even if they have the wisdom of God, they will need to be able to communicate in the categories and concepts that are used in the policy development process.
To get sufficient promotions to have influence, a Christian will need to really work hard for the benefit of their organisation. I have noticed that many Christians are too busy on their other commitments, often very good ones, to get promoted to a position of influence. It often appears that they are using their role to gain sufficient income to support the other activities that they are committed to. That is fine, if that is their objective, but it places a limit on the influence that they will have on the government.
Innovative ideas do not always translate into influence. The leaders of Public Service are often opposed to change. They are often more concerned about their career, and what they need to do to get ahead, than they are about good policy. They will sometimes reject an idea that they have not come up with and oppose it because someone they see as a threat has supported it first. To get their ideas heard, Christians will need to understand how the system works and use it for their benefit. They cannot just assume that good ideas will rise to the top.
Christians will often be up against shrewd operators who have learned how to work the system to get ahead. Being diligent and honest may not be sufficient to get a person ahead of them. However, if they stoop to political games to get ahead in the organisation, Christians will undermine their credibility and integrity. This is a catch 22 situation, which has no easy solutions.
Bringing change from within the political system is far more difficult than most Christians realise, and getting harder. To gain influence in the public service, a Christian will have to submit to those with authority in the department that they choose to work in. If those people are not followers of Jesus, the Christian will be placing themselves under the influence of the government-spirits that control their managers. The Christian will have to use their wisdom to support their leader's vision, even if they do not support it. This can be frustrating.
When a Christian begins working in a government department, they have to sign up to the public service code of conduct. They have to agree to carry out the functions of the organisation without being affected by their personal beliefs and they agree to respect the authority of the government of the day. They are expected to ensure that their actions are not affected by their personal interests or relationships and they must avoid any activities, work or non-work, that may harm the reputation of their organisation or of the State Services.
A Christian employed by the government will not always be free to speak what they think. Some things can only be spoken from the outside.
