In this introductory sermon to the new series, Political Distortions, Greg Boyd and Bill Doherty provide a framework for why God’s kingdom people are challenged to provide an alternative to the political polarizations that pervade our current reality. They also offer some initial guidance in how we can practice this alternative.
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Love Without Judgment
• Bill Doherty, Greg Boyd
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This is the first sermon in the eight-part series called “Political Distortions.” In it, we are exploring the ways politics and other cultural forces can distort our perceptions of others. Instead of seeing people who possess unsurpassable worth, who God was willing to pay an unsurpassable price for, we see a liberal or conservative, pro-American or an anti-American.
Greg opens by explaining that this is crucial to our faith, as we read in the focus scripture above. If you don’t want to be judged, then don’t judge. Jesus is addressing our heart posture. We must recognize that when we see the problems in others, we are actually looking down on them, instead of recognizing the issues within ourselves.
Judgment is not just a sin, it is actually the foundational sin from Genesis 3. In the middle of the Garden, God placed The Tree of Life, which signifies that everything in the Garden revolves around us trusting our Creator for eternal life. He also placed the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When the Old Testament was being written, only the gods and kings were said to “know good and evil.” To eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is to presume that you and your tribe have the kingly right and the kingly wisdom to define good and evil. As a result, we judge ourselves and our group as good, and whoever we disagree with is evil.
This is the foundational sin because it is antithetical to the foundational command to live in love. Love is about ascribing worth to others at cost to oneself, while judgment is ascribing worth to self at cost to others. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Do everything in love.”
Bill Doherty, a marriage and family therapist who teaches at the University of Minnesota and founder of Braver Angels, describes the nature of polarization in three parts. First there is “othering.” Secondly, the others are unlikeable and untrustworthy. Third, they are morally compromised.
Then Bill describes the four horsemen of polarization: stereotyping, dismissing, ridiculing, and contempt. We don’t want to associate with the political “other.” We stay in our tribes and cease trying to understand others—we just want to defeat them.
Greg and Bill concluded the sermon with a conversation about three practices that can help us confront polarization. First, get all your life from Christ. We feed ourselves by judging others because our innermost being is hungry. To avoid judgment, we must get all our life from Christ. Second, practice loving the political “other” by seeking to understand by trying to get on the inside of their perspective. Third, pray for your “enemies.”
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Conflict, Politics, Reconciliation
Sermon Series: Political Distortions
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Focus Scripture:
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Matthew 7:1-3
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
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Wow, so timely! I think this message was planned by God’s providence. I know it’s the words I needed to hear now.
Thank you!