Wake Up Churches...

All Politics Is Local

In the wake of Sunday's vote, many Americans are understandably angry, frustrated, and looking for ways to fix what the House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) described as a broken Congress. The long-term solution may be closer to home than you think. Too often we overlook the importance of local elections for city council, school boards, and even the state legislature. This is where the political careers--and even the ideologies--of future Congressmen are shaped. Last night, my home church outside of Baton Rouge hosted a candidate forum for local elections. All of the prospective leaders appeared and spoke--not only to the policy issues facing our community, but also to the important role that our Christian faith plays in shaping the future of that community. My pastor, Dr. Dennis Terry, opened the event by saying if we wanted to change the direction ! of Washington D.C., we have to start at home. The same is true of towns across America. "It's time for churches to once again be active in shaping our communities. I encourage other pastors to seize this moment when many Americans are looking for direction," he said. Now, this is nothing new. For most of our nation's history, the local church was at the heart of civic life. If we want to fix what is broken, I can't think of a better place to start.