Pastoral or Political

It’s difficult indeed to figure out the balance between being pastoral and being political. When does being pastoral necessitate involvement in issues that are seen my most as “strictly political?” When does involvement in certain issues help forward our community’s best interests and the message of the Gospel, and when does it distract? 

How can public acts of justice, like attending the No Kings demonstration, be understood as fulfilling a pastoral call rather than a political one?

As a pastor, I am called to be intimately engaged with God, with scripture, and with the congregation and community around me. This does not call me to any one political ideology. In fact, a strong connection to God and scripture and the surrounding people often means a change of heart, a shift in beliefs about how the world should be governed or led. 

I am also called to care for the poor and those on the edges of society. Unfortunately, many conservative Christians have turned their backs on this call and would vilify ideals that are solidly rooted in scripture -- such as feeding people without strings attached, freeing prisoners, and welcoming foreigners. Standing along the margins and calling people to task for harming the vulnerable is NOT political. It is pastoral. 

As those who are called to bring the voice of morality to the community, showing up publicly, as faith leaders did at No Kings rallies, is vital to our work. The goal is to frame current struggles as a "moral fight, not just as a partisan fight". Christian Nationalists and fascist leaders have taken their roles beyond the running of the country and are attempting to force immoral ideals on us. Our freedom of religion is at stake when we allow ourselves to be silenced by those who do not agree. 

Think of the power of religious leaders showing up in the Civil Rights Movement. Those who are shouting down and shaming religious leaders for showing up -- or even who are attacking and imprisoning them like we see in Chicago right now -- are afraid of that power. They are afraid of religious leaders advocating for justice, keeping the government in check, and standing up for the poor and the stranger.

The proclamation "No Kings" is profoundly Christian because it reclaims the gospel for the poor and insists that there is no acceptable ruler who causes great harm to the vulnerable among us. This radical act of showing up as advocates for peace undercuts the narrative that protests are a violent movement rebelling against America; instead, they are an exercise of democracy. The presence of non-violent clergy showing up in their clerical gear helps to reinforce that message.

Carrying a sign with religious text at the No Kings rally connects this public act back to a call for justice rooted in faith traditions. The content of the sign itself demonstrates the theological grounding for the protest, affirming that the action was about exercising faithful discipleship, rather than embracing political ideology. ​