Is Jesus a Republican or Democrat?

One of my favorite songs asks the question “Which Jesus do you follow?” It points to our tendency to turn Jesus into whatever makes us feel better about ourselves, rather than simply seeing Him for who He truly is. And in my own personal contemplation on the subject, my memory was jogged back to a book I read years ago titled “Is Jesus a Republican or Democrat?”

The book actually consitsts of about fifteen “hot topics” for Christians and to be honest I didn’t care for most of it, but I was always especially intrigued by this one question. And how much more appropriate is it as we enter into the homestretch of a major election season? Don’t worry, this is not a political blog and I fully intend to keep my own political persuasion and opinions to myself. But think about that question for a minute. Go and ask any random number of people if Jesus is a Republican or Democrat and I’d be willing to bet you’ll end up with Jesus perched high on an elephant rather than seated on a donkey. Even though it seems like more and more candidates from both sides are trying to promote their faith, Republicans are just more widely seen today as a party that is tied to the church.

But go back in your time machine fourty or fifty years or more and ask the same question. Chances are you’ll get a very different answer. Why is that? Did Jesus change his political affiliation? No, but society has changed. Many of our societal values have changed. Our culture is changing. But Jesus doesn’t change. Truth is, Jesus has no political, national, governmental, societal, racial, denominational or any other affiliation. That’s all conceived by us. George Bernard Shaw, in his cynicism of religion, once said “God created us in His image, and we have decided to return the favor.” How painfully true is that statement? Even within our own faith we have divided ourselves into different denominations because we have so many different versions of God. Why are we making God into our image rather than conforming to His? One church says that you need to respect and revere God. That you need to dress your best and sing the hymns of our forefathers. The next says God doesn’t care what you wear as long as you come. And everything is contemporary and culturally relevant because that’s how Jesus would be if He were here today. So, who’s right? That’s the $25,000 question isn't it? To be honest, maybe both are wrong. Maybe both are right. Or maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t matter.

Sometimes I think we concentrate too much on the how rather than the why. We spend more time convincing ourselves that we are doing things the way God intended than we do on simply finding out who God really is. Why do we waste our time trying to squeeze Jesus into a mold that, because of our own limited nature, can never hope to contain all that He is, when all we need to do is allow ourselves to freely fall into the mold of Him that we were made to fit into so perfectly?

Jesus didn’t tell us who to vote for. He told us to pray for those chosen to lead us. He didn’t tell us who to have as friends. He said to love all our neighbors as ourselves. He didn’t give us an outline of how to do church, saying exactly where the announcements should go, and what songs to sing. He simply said to love Him above all others and to spread His message. Jesus is so many things. He is The Creator. The Comforter. The Healer. The Almighty. The Teacher. The Judge. He is The Way. He is Love. He is The Father. The Bridegroom. The Shepherd. He was battered. He was beaten. He was scarred. He died. And he rose to defeat death. He is the one who is the Beginning and the End but who has no beginning or end. He Was and Is to Come. And he simply Is. But he’s not a Democrat or Republican.