Kaitlyn Schiess is a student at Dallas Theological Seminary and the author of “The Liturgy of Politics” — a book that couldn’t be more timely! The wisdom in these pages is endless, which is why I was so excited to speak with her about a topic I am so passionate about.
In this interview:
- Why it’s important to be very intentional about what you read/watch/listen to daily (and what questions to ask yourself about that)
- How the hyper-focus on “Jesus and me” relationships over community purpose has been a detriment to the faith
- What does evangelical mean and how did last week’s riot at the Capitol reflect on American Christians?
- What does it mean to be taking actions now that have a truly heavenly, lasting purpose?
Christians and Politics
If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you know ho passionate I am about the intersection of faith and politics. It is quite impossible to disengage from politics if you are a human in the world. As American Christians, we have a responsibility to engage well and live out our Jesus calling to steward our communities and love our neighbors through that engagement.
We needn’t agree on all policy solutions, but we should FIRST be thinking of our neighbor when considering the people and policies we support. There is a toxic individualism that sometimes exists within Conservatism and Christians must be aware of this. As Kaitlyn writes in her book, are you falling victim to the “security gospel” — the one that first keeps you safe and well-fed?
I encourage to stay informed, think deeply and research well when it comes to the issues affecting us each day. Kaitlyn recommends asking yourself a few questions when you ingest news and analysis. And when we read Scripture, consider it in the context of a PEOPLE (the Church), not just our individual messages. The truth is, as Kaitlyn writes:
“We aren’t a loose collection of individual believers with individual callings. We are a people with a commission to seek the flourishing of creation.”
We aren’t doing this life thing alone. We are a People of God. Look to the Church of Acts if you need a reminder of what this can look like.
If you are a visual person, check out my video interview with Kaitlyn Schiess here:
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