Finding God at Work

Political campaigns are always about the future. From "Let Us Have Peace" (U.S. Grant's 1868 slogan) to FDR's "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1932) to "Change We Can Believe In," the message is *hope.* Things will get better. There's something to look forward to.

But we know that somehow we keep finding ourselves stuck in the mud as human beings. Our efforts to establish justice, to make things better, are faltering and failing.

Jesus offers us hope that's secure. His coming return both relativizes our hope for political good now and redeems our present imperfect efforts.

Sources: Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (ESV)

Dallas Willard, as quoted in Bill Gaultiere, "Dallas Willard's Definitions and Quotes," Soul Shepherding.

The Book of Common Prayer (2019), Special Liturgies of Lent & Holy Week: Ash Wednesday

N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (New York: HarperCollins, 2008).

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, directed by Gareth Edwards (Lucasfilm, 2016).

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What does it mean to give Jesus our allegiance?

When the chips are down and we have to make a choice between loyalty to Jesus and loyalty to country, party, or movement, who do we choose?

Do we take up our cross even if it means laying down our lives?

Or do we end up choosing a different kingdom over the kingdom of God?

If we do, we are calling on a different king than Jesus.

Sources: Luke 9:23-26 (NIV) Note: In the podcast episode itself I accidentally say "Matthew" instead of Luke. Oops!

John 19:5-16 (NIV)

Honore Daumier, Ecce Homo, oil on canvas, 1850 (Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany), Wikimedia Commons.

#FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Politics #FaithAndPolitics #Loyalty #Faith #Covenant #Luke9 #John19 #HonoreDaumier #EcceHomo #UnitedStates #Conservative #Liberal #RightWing #LeftWing #Neighbors #CommonGood #FaithHopeLove #PoliticalPower #Allegiance #Idolatry #Resurrection #Witness #Eschatology #ReturnOfChrist #ChristTheKing #Parousia #SecondComing #PoliticalIssues #Immigration #Abortion #FoodInsecurity #AwkwardConversations #TakeAStand

When is it right to speak up about a political issue in the workplace?

We need discernment. Spouting off every opinion we happen to have is not the same as courageous witness.

At the same time, there are times when we need the courage to speak up. Scripture calls us to speak in a way that will "benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). Taking a political stand can build others up in at least two circumstances:

• When your political conviction gives people a window into a different kind of world.

• When your political conviction gives a voice to a vulnerable group of people.

When the time is right, we need courage to speak. And Jesus has promised he'll give us the courage we need.

Sources: Matthew 10:16-20 (NIV)

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Knox Thames, "Coronavirus Church Closures Are Not Persecution," Speaking Out, Christianity Today, October 7, 2020.

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What adjectives would you use to describe political conversations you've had throughout your life?

Awkward?

Loaded?

Angry?

What about . . . gentle?

We have strong feelings about politics because politics is about people, and people matter. So what does it look like for us to practice gentleness with our own strong feelings about politics?

When we learn to practice gentleness even in the things we're passionate about, we discover that gentleness helps. Not only do we love people better when we listen to them with gentleness. We also persuade them better, too.

Sources: Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

Proverbs 25:15 (NIV)'

Titus 3:1-2 (NIV)

Dallas Willard, "How to Live Well - Eternal Life Begins Now," conference lecture, Knowing Christ: Equipping Pastors as Teachers of the Nations and Churches as Schools for Living, Westmont College, February 21, 2013.

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When it comes to politics, our personality shapes how we want to engage—or disengage.

Maybe you're an armchair pundit, always reading the news and staying informed (and opinionated) about current events.

Maybe you find politics distasteful and try to avoid them as much as possible.

We have different God-given personalities, and that's okay. But all of us who follow Jesus are students of Scripture. So we want to pay attention to the parts of Scripture that directly address political issues.

One key text that can help us do that is Psalm 14. When we listen to what it teaches about life with God, it can help us become more thoughtful in our political conversations.

Sources: Psalm 14 (NIV)

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (New York: HarperCollins, 1998).

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In the story of Hannah, we see someone coming to God in a moment of profound personal grief. In her "deep anguish," Hannah turns to prayer (1 Samuel 1:10 NIV).

This moment doesn't seem like it has to do with politics at first. But Hannah's prayerful attitude puts her at the center of God's redemptive political action in ancient Israel. Hannah sees that the Lord is the one who "humbles and . . . exalts" (1 Samuel 2:7 NIV). Her story of moving from shame to exaltation gets caught up in the bigger story that ultimately leads to Jesus' death and resurrection.

For us, too, when we start in prayer, we may find ourselves caught up in God's purposes far beyond what we could anticipate.

Sources: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 (NIV)

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NIV)

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (New York: HarperCollins, 1998).

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (New York: HarperCollins, 1978, 1998, 2009, 2018).

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We kick off a new series with this episode—Take A Stand: Faithful Political Witness at Work.

Politics this year in the United States and around the world is just as fraught as ever.

At times, it can be tempting to ignore political issues. When they come up at work, it can be awkward.

But as disciples of Jesus, engaging political issues is part of loving our neighbors. Even if you don't feel deeply affected by today's politics, you probably have a coworker who does.

What can you do when politics comes up in conversation in the workplace? What should you do? Would you ever be the one to take the initiative and bring up a political concern in the first place?

Those are the questions we'll be responding to in this series. We'll look at faith and politics in three parts:

Faithful

How to talk about politics in a way that's . . .

• Prayerful

• Thoughtful

• Gentle

• Courageous

Political

How should we understand politics in relation to the kingdom of God? In this part, we'll look at:

• Faith and Political Allegiance

• Hope and Political Visions of the Future

• Love and Political Power

Witness

Finally, we'll look at three specific political issues in the light of the resurrection of Jesus:

• Immigration

• Abortion

• Food Insecurity

As we go, Jesus will show us how to engage these questions in his character. Even if it's awkward or risky, it's worth it to learn to love our coworkers and neighbors when political issues touch their lives.

Sources: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 (NIV)

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Chris interviews Abbot Dan Nobles of Christ Mission Anglican Benedictines and Wandering Monk Hikes. Abbot Dan talks about how he unexpectedly became a monk after his military career, the healing journey of contemplative prayer, and returning to our "center of gravity" in the middle of the work day.

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We don't just need good teachings or ideas about human nature and mental health.

We need a vision of human life and love and work as it's meant to be.

When we let Jesus be our anthropologist, we learn his teachings on the human person.

But Jesus is more than that. He's also the true anthropos: the true human being.

He shows us the life we were meant for, and he invites us into it.

Sources: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, trans. Robert M. Grant, in Irenaeus of Lyons, The Early Church Fathers (London: Routledge, 1997).

Athanasius, On the Incarnation, trans. John Behr, Popular Patristics Series, no. 44b (Yonkers, New York: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2011).

Augustine, Quaestiones Evangeliorum, II, 19, abridged as cited in C.H. Dodd, The Parables of the Kingdom (New York: Scribners, 1961), in James McIlhone, "Augustine's Commentary on the Good Samaritan."

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Can work be a place of healing?

Certain workplaces are traumatizing in themselves.

But at its best, work is an ennobling experience. It confirms our sense of agency. It helps us gain confidence. It confers meaning on our time.

When work is like this, it can even serve as a place of healing for past wounds—particularly the wound of learned helplessness.

By God's grace, work is often where we discover how much we really are capable of.

Sources: Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV)

Psalm 118:6 (ESV)

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV)

Shanna B. Tiayon, "Four Ways We Can Be Sensitive to Trauma at Work," Greater Good Magazine, October 12, 2021.

Mary D. Salter Ainsworth, Mary C. Blehar, Everett Waters, Sally N. Wall, Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation, Classic Edition (New York: Psychology Press, 2015).

Toby Cushing, Sarah Robertson, Julia Mannes, Nicole Marshall, Mark James Carey, Robbie Duschinsky, and Richard Meiser-Stedman. "The Relationship between Attachment and Posttraumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analytic Review." Development and Psychopathology 36, no. 3 (2024): 1055–69.

Martin E. Seligman & Steven F. Maier, "Failure to escape traumatic shock," Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(1) (1967): 1–9.

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