This episode brings together faith leaders Kathryn Freeman, Jenny Yang, and Michael Wear to discuss a hot button issue-civic engagement for American Christians.  We'll hear from each of them about what it means for followers of Christ to love their neighbors through politics, voting, and the "third space."  How do we move from awareness to action, and action to advocacy?  Our amazing guests help us understand the challenges and rewards of participation in the political sphere as people of faith.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown

Producer, Editor & Music By - Travon Potts

Transcriber - Sarah Connatser

Quotes:

"There's nothing wrong with being political. All of us are political beings, all of us live in structures and governments, and communities in which all of us need to come together to make important decisions that impact the common good."  - Jenny Yang

“The fine line is between being political and being partisan because oftentimes, partisanship can mean blind allegiance to a specific political party or candidate without realizing that there are faults with specific candidates and parties. And not a single political party or person will ever encompass the fully, perfectly balanced agenda that I believe we’re supposed to pursue in our society.” - Jenny Yang

“Faithful political engagement means that you’re willing to put faithfulness over short term political gain. It also means that you’re not just in politics for your own self-interest, that you’re not just going to politics to get your own needs met.” - Michael Wear

“I’m convinced people are going to politics a lot these days for spiritual and emotional needs. We find those needs met in Christ, and so we’re freed up to go into politics to affirm human dignity and advance justice.” - Michael Wear

“There has to be a separation of who I am as an American and a citizen of this democracy, and who I am as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. And I think oftentimes we blend those two things together as if America is a Christian nation, and it doesn’t matter that we’ve made an idol or that we live in a way where those identities are blended.” - Kathryn Freeman

“The reality is, whether you’re liberal or conservative, you should feel like, ‘I can’t go with that, because my first identity is a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.’ And if you never feel that tension, if the country is always doing what you feel like aligns with God, then I would say that the God that you’re worshipping is not the God of the Bible. It’s not the Jesus of the red letters.” - Kathryn Freeman

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