Which is more important: The resurrection of Jesus or the decisions of our political leaders? Another way to look at it is, Does it matter more to you that Jesus rose from the dead, or that we have an immigration policy in our country with which you agree? These should be very easy to answer, but I’m afraid even many Christians today may be tempted to put their priorities in our politics. On the surface it can seem like the decisions of our political leaders affect our lives more than having a risen savior. Our faith in Christ is our insurance policy that we keep in our back pocket, but we live our daily lives in a political world. It’s hard not to live this way when our news media—our media in general—focuses so much on what is happening in Washington without barely a mention of what Christ did for us.
So how does Christ’s death and resurrection impact our day-to-day lives? For one, we have hope beyond this world. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about our environment and the suffering of others, but it does mean that one day our world will be wiped away and all things made new. We have a hope that can never be overcome. We also know that Christ did it all. So while we should strive to be better, more loving people, all the weight isn’t on our shoulders. And when we mess things up, we can get back up again because Christ has paid that price for our sins. We needn’t go into a depression because we failed to meet the standards we set for ourselves. We are also more free to lay aside our rights for others because we know God will bring justice in the end. That includes spending our lives in service to others because we know we will have rewards in Heaven.
Lastly, we know that we are sinners, unable to free ourselves from the muck of our lives without Christ. That means others can’t either. No amount of new year’s resolutions or self-help strategies can produce a truly better person. Only the grace of Christ can do that. So forget hoping that people will become better if we merely educate them. We’ve been trying that since Aristotle, and the results are plain to see. If we want to make a better world, then we need to be telling others about Jesus; not arguing–witnessing. Only He can change a heart. And hearts filled with faith and love are far more important than the latest headlines out of our capital.
