A Political Fast

I recently finished a book entitled “Tempting Faith.” The author is David Kuo, who spent a few years as the number two in command of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the Bush White House.

Kuo left the Bush White House disgusted and disillusioned by his experiences there. He said that while the Faith Based Initiative was a cornerstone of Bush’s campaign, it was never something that came to much fruition. Hardly any monies were put into it, nor did Bush and his advisors care to. In other words, it was a great idea to get them elected, but that was it.

Prior to joining the White House, Kuo also worked with William Bennett, and did speechwriting for, among others, Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson. An interesting passage talked about how speeches were tailor made for the evangelical audience. For example, a candidate may say, “There’s power, wonder-working power, in the goodness and idealism and faith of the American people.” To a mainstream audience, that probably sounds a little weird. To a fundamentalist audience, it probably got a huge ovation. Now, of course, speechwriting 101 dictates that you throw in things to connect to your audience, so this isn’t totally unusual, but does highlight how Christians also can be taken advantage of in the political arena.

Kuo closes his book by calling for a “fast from politics.” He does not mean that we stop voting or that Christians in politics start submitting their resignations. He just calls for us to stop being so focused on everything political. Spend more time studying the Word and less time trying to get others elected. Quit giving money to groups like the Family Research Council and give it instead to charities that are out there actually helping those in need. Stop arguing with those on the “other side” and find some common bonds (Kuo admits his guilt on condemning anything and everything associated with the words Democrat and Clinton). Kuo gives some interesting statistics. By the year 2008, a Republican would have been in the White House for 20 of the last 28 years. The vast majority of judges have been appointed by a Republican, as well as 7 of the 9 justices on the Supreme Court. Congress just tilted the other way, but the House was under Republican rule for 12 years, and the Senate has gone back and forth since Reagan took office.

So, have we really accomplished that much by being so involved in politics? Kuo thinks that is certainly up for debate. He cites Billy Graham as one who was very involved with politics, but then a bad experience in the Nixon White House caused him to get back to what he was truly called to do, and look at the respect he has garnered throughout the years. Same for Rick Warren, one of the biggest names in evangelical circles today, but you don’t hear his name much in the political arena.

I’ve taken Kuo up on this whole fast thing. Since the election, I’ve basically stopped watching the political talk shows and listening to talk radio. When I do check back in once in a while, I find out I haven’t really missed much. I still keep up on the headlines, but as for commentary and analysis of why “they are wrong and we are right,’ I’m sort of taking a break from that.

Maybe that’s why I actually had time to finish reading this book.