26 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Compromise is what politics demands. In a multireligious democracy, the need for political compromise is so extreme that the putatively religious organization that decides to be politically active will, inevitably, be transformed into a political organization that was once religious….10 The engagement in the political battles influences the local church as well. For many, their politics informs their theology, which leads to sermons focused on politically charged “sins” of the day to the neglect of larger biblical issues, or in other words, found in today’s churches is the “political tail wagging the scriptural dog.”11 As stated earlier, the political divide has done more than just divide religion along denominational lines; it has divided denominations and churches. With all the time and resources dedicated to the political effort by Christians of both parties, what exactly has been accomplished by Christianity in politics? One could conclude, after seeing all the vitriol and compromise, that religion has suffered more than it would have if religious leaders were not so entangled in daily political decisions. Or perhaps, religion would have positively influenced politics if Christian leaders had remained prophetic in their involvement with politics, rather than participatory in the power struggle. As Carter states clearly: The prophet, facing a resisting world, must struggle with uncertainty and rejection. Through those struggles, the prophet learns humility—and perhaps reaches a richer version of truth. The one who wields the sword, however, struggles less, for he possesses the authority to force others to yield to his vision. Thus does the power of prophecy disappear.12 Certainly there is a place for religion in politics. After all, the Civil Rights movement was led by a reverend, but what are the appropriate boundaries? Specifically, what role should church leaders play in the political process? And how can Christians impact both the individual and society by remaining true to their callings? One of the ways we impact culture properly is through living lives of service rather than power. As Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer write in A Church Called Tov, “Toxic, flesh-driven cultures breed a lust for power, success, celebrity, control through fear, an emphasis
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