Politics is often considered a dirty word. To be honest, before I became involved with Kansas Family Voice, I shared some of that impression. Why would a Christian want to be involved in the business of potentially selling out one’s morals in the pursuit of political gains, whatever those might be? It would seem to be a game best suited to narcissists and those with less-than-pure intentions. But all is not what it seems.
I would argue that politics, like all of life, can and should be redeemed by the power of Christ. It is His indwelling of the Spirit that makes all things new, including politics. As Christians, we are called to transform all of life, including politics. So, what is your mission and duty in this regard?
Daniel 32:11 states, “The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action”. Notice the second part – our faith must issue into action. James wrote an entire book of the Bible declaring that faith without works is dead, underscoring the need to act out our faith in everyday life [e.g., James 2:14-26]. To further underscore this need to act on our faith, one need look no further than eminent theologians such as John Calvin or Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the latter dying for his beliefs concerning this engagement. In short, the confession of our faith must be the starting point for political action; if we confess Christ, we can do no other.
So how must one engage? While there are several ways for Christians to engage in politics, they ultimately succeed or fail on the level of involvement and commitment of Christians in the movement. Here in our state, examples might include testifying before legislative bodies, becoming involved in campaigns of Christian candidates, or activism such as marching or holding rallies supporting Christian points of view. But what if you don’t have the time?
That is where Kansas Family Voice of North Dakota® comes in. We have the mission and passion to speak and act on your behalf, defending and advancing biblical values in the political sphere. Last legislative session we testified before committees over 26 times, were able to successfully win 70% of all the bills we lobbied for (this is a high percentage), spoke to a huge number of our 141 state legislators on a regular basis, and helped elect seven candidates to positions at the state and national levels (e.g., Senator Kevin Cramer and Representative Kelly Armstrong). And we’re going to do it again.
We have been working with candidates on this upcoming election, preparing bills for the next legislative session, and speaking to churches and groups about engaging in the political process. We are there when you can’t be.
If this is valuable to you, won’t you consider helping us in three key ways? First, pray for our efforts – all our work is for naught if not lifted up in prayer.
Second, when we send out Action Alerts during the legislative session, please respond. They are effective and I have heard firsthand statements by legislators that their views were influenced by the significant influxes of emails and phone calls on an issue.
Finally, please consider supporting us financially. We exist solely through the gifts of ministry partners such as yourself. We have elections and the 2021 legislative session coming up – our two most intensive work times, and we could really use your support.
As Christians, engagement in politics is nonoptional. How we engage is up to us. We would be honored if you would entrust us with representing you and your biblical values. Thank you for acting on your faith in the political arena, and for fulfilling God’s calling on your life in this important way.
Sincerely,
Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director