Were Jesus here with us today as a Ghanaian, what do you think will be His views on our political landscape? What would He think about free SHS or corruption or even how we approach the subject of homosexuality? Would He care about women issues? Would He be concerned about rising debt levels or would he be concerned about youth unemployment?
Here’s a scary question. Would Jesus be more likely to vote for Nana Addo, John Mahama or someone else in 2020? Are you sure He would even vote at all?
These questions can be easily answered when we look at the issues through the heart of Jesus.
There’s a verse in the Bible that perfectly sums up Jesus’ mission on earth and that will apply to every attempt to answer questions about the politics of Jesus. This verse was the bedrock for His ministry. It permeated His whole life, from what He did, to how He thought. And it would have been the primary influence of His political convictions, had He lived in Ghana at this time.
“I came to give life—life that is full and good,” (John 10:10).
For many of us, what we think about politics is somehow separate from our religious convictions. It is sometimes almost treated as an exception to our faith rather than a reflection of it. But for Jesus, His mission affected every part of Him. There was nothing left untouched by His calling.
Shouldn’t it be that way with us?
The thing that is really confusing about politics is how it is all packaged. If I believe that the way free SHS is being implemented is wrong, for some reason that also means I am supposed to believe that the only solution is to vote out the NPP and bring in the NDC before I can be heard. When I raise issues with the implementation of the double track system, I automatically become an enemy of the ruling class and this sets me against people instead of an idea.
Dr Mensa Otabil is an example of how hard it has become to talk on politics and issues that affect the masses. No matter what one says, you are branded and dismissed as an opponent.
As Christians, our political beliefs should not be bundled and pre-packaged into two neat categories color coded green or blue. We should instead think hard about each issue individually and form our beliefs around one simple question.
What outcome would result in “life that is full and good” for as many people as possible?
Whether it’s for NPP or NDC, Jesus will take the route that will lift as many people out of poverty as possible while promoting peace and unity. We must do same.
This article was inspired by a LightWorkers article bearing similar title.
