Repent of your politics

I think this article has some interesting points and implies a few actions I feel are relevant.

http://biblicalawakening.blogspot.com/2009/05/politics-power-pride-how-american.html

We read about the Old Testament nation of Israel missing the Messiah because they were looking to their politics/religion for a national savior. Are we, today, any different? Jesus has come, we (theoretically) do his work, and, yet, many American Christians still get more excited about politics than their spiritual lives. Of course, we are not looking for the Messiah as president. But, the amount of energy and attention we devote to being "politically aware" seems largely misdirected.

My gut feel is that we are dissatisfied with our country and the powers that be. So, we start focusing on how power is used in our civic lives (politics) and get sidetracked trying to understand (and hopefully restore) a sense of just rulership. If that's the case, it is a flawed approach from the start. No government will ever create a just society. Am I advocating we ignore our social responsibilities. Absolutely not. I am saying that we have mistaken God's work for that of our leaders.

Lastly, I think many people want things to change, but, they want someone else (or something else) to do it for them. Social activism is the parable of the good Samaritan. That man gave of himself to help another in need. He didn't rely on the police to find this person, EMS to retrieve him, a public health policy to heal him and taxes (i.e., everyone/no one) to pay for it. He took it upon himself. I wonder, more as a challenge than as a question, how focused would the church be on politics if it took its own actions (as did the good Samaritan) and didn't wait for government to do it.