10.17.2004 | "he's trying to force his beliefs on us"

The “he” in question is George Bush, evangelical Christian. The complaint comes from a senior citizen at the AARP conference in Lost Wages, er, Las Vegas. It’s in the context of an article in today’s Washington Post that notes the fact that seniors are not just single issue voters.

This particular complaint is hardly unique to this one man. I’ve been told the exact same thing to my face by several of my neighbors. Mostly, these neighbors are not Christian, or are of the pale, pale, whitebread-Christmas-and-Easter variety, who are, frankly, unchurched and seemingly a little embarrassed by their faith.

I don’t know what goes on in their heart of hearts, of course, and it is not for me to doubt anyone’s faith. It is for me, and for George Bush, and for all who confess Christ as Lord, to share the good news. Those who complain the loudest about the President’s faith are likely those whose own needs some shoring up. In other words, methinks these folks doth protest too much.

Now, from an evangelical point of view, the President does very little outright preaching. What he does do is ensure that we know what motivates him, what moves him to govern as he does. He’s also quite effective in preaching the gospel, without words. Which is always best.

For those who complain the loudest about evangelization, perhaps a word from Jesus might help. From Luke 8:16 (NIV):

No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Or, as the song goes, “you can’t be a beacon if your light don’t shine.”