Why Do We Snub Politics? We Shame Ourselves When We Do

We belittle those who are in it, we snub those who choose to serve there and we assume everyone is ill-intentioned who touch the arena. Are we missing something?

A few days ago as I was preparing for my run and talking to God, I found myself praying, “Why do people look down on politics? Why do we not see it as the beautiful thing that it is?”

(Before you scoff at me and say, who is this dumb woman asking ludicrous questions, please give me a chance.)

I feel it is a valid question worth pressing.

First, What Is Politics?

For clarity, politics is different than government. Politics is the “garment” you put on to maneuver in any system whether it is a church, a sports team, a business, a community. You could call it the “expansive recipe of working with people to get things accomplished.” (It’s not a perfect definition. Just a stab in the dark, really.)

Most of the time the subject of “politics” is tied with campaigns and elections for those who will hold government seats. Politics as a whole is something we all engage in whether we choose to or not, it just depends on the “arena” to which we encounter it. Some grapple with it in the church, oth…