**I wrote this three weeks ago and while the events that have transpired since rightfully demand our full attention, I felt this might shed some light on a shift in perspective that I feel is deeply necessary for the Church to step into important spaces and conversations that are in need of the healing power of Jesus. The shift in perspective that I believe is needed among Christians today is one that focuses our eyes on the Kingdom work of Jesus – and let’s be clear – there is no place in our hearts for racism when our eyes are fixed on Jesus and the ministry of reconciliation in which we are all called.**

We need a shift in perspective.

Yeah that feels about right.

Over the last several weeks, I’ve watched people (virtually, of course) place their stakes in the ground surrounding their political opinion. I’m always astonished by the Christians and their seemingly allegiance to party agenda/narrative over all. I’ve spoken publicly about this before and yet it still amazes me how a group of people called to be united by and for the love of Jesus Christ can be so divisive, so hateful and so self-centered.

Now that I have that off my chest and have your attention, let me peel back a layer or two and share one of the foundational missteps I’m seeing among my brothers and sisters in Christ —> we’ve lost perspective. And the perspective we’ve lost somewhere along the way is this : all that we are and all that we do should be in light of Kingdom work for the salvation of souls.

We study scripture to grow in relationship with Jesus in order to be molded in his likeness as the word transforms our hearts and renews our minds. We do so with a hope that as we walk with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will draw those in our path closer to Him. It’s for the salvation of souls.

We establish discipleship strategies in our churches not as a way to babysit our kids or fill a block of time before service and in the middle of the week. It’s so that we all grow as disciples who make disciples according to God’s Kingdom work for the salvation of souls.

We worship and fellowship together in community because it unites us in the Spirit and that spurs us on toward faithful living for the salvation of souls.

We work hard and are good stewards of our homes, finances and jobs so that what has been given to us is returned to be multiplied by the Father in order to continue the ministry that he has given us all – you guessed it : the salvation of souls.

And you may wonder how this applies to politics and it’s because God does not care about our politics. He cares about our hearts and when our perspective is set on the salvation of souls, we will be less focused on personal liberties and more focused on the well-being of the general public because that is the type of loving and sacrificing example that was set by our Jesus that gives us the security of our salvation.

His word says in John 13:35 that the world will know us by our love for one another so I’m here to lovingly ask that we unite in the love of Christ, shift our perspective away from ourselves and back to Jesus and the life that he has called us to live – in relationship with him, bringing others along with us.

People often question if our faith and our politics can co-exist and I believe it should in the same way our faith is intertwined in our relationships, in our careers, and in the way we live our lives – through the lens of Christ and the life he has called us to live.

We will not all agree on the best way to flesh this out but I’m certain that if we shift our perspective away from ourselves, we will be more loving in our disagreements and will grow in the likeness of Jesus.

Let’s shift our perspective back to Christ and align our hearts with his. And his heart longs for the salvation of souls.