As a result, in Politics

1A. Pray for things   political

1B. Expect God to instruct what to do to help political miracles happen.

1C. Stand ready to act as directed, to take up and follow political vocations

1A. Pray for things economic

1B. Expect God to instruct what to do to help economic miracle happen

1A.  Pray for neighbors: geographic, religious, professional, etc.

1B.  Expect God to instruct  what to do to help neighbors

1C. Stand ready to act as directed, to take up and follow non-profit vocations

2A. Understand that any time someone is left with no means to meet needs, God’s will has not yet been done.

2B. Don’t settle for leaving anyone out.

2C. Take risks confident that there will be ways to meet needs, including their own, if God has asked for a sacrifice of security

2D. Embody hope.

2A.  Tend to the political realm; do not leave it to others

2B.  Never settle for adversarial win/lose  politics, even when it is politically advantageous

2C.  Listen to all sides, either within or outside the process;

overlook borders

2D.  Eschew violence

2A.  Tend to the economic realm; do not leave it to others

2B. Engage readily in economic competition, but with a modified view of profit maximization: let profit be a byproduct of service.

2C.  Help others find their way into their market niche; listen to potential customers

2D. Eschew manipulation, misinformation, fraud, bribery, cutting hidden corners, etc.

2E. Avoid overconsumption

2F. Promote a true “minimum wage” to cover education, devotional time, health, etc. 

2A. Tend to communities; do not leave them to others

2B. Incarnate amidst those in need, share sufferings, but without closing doors to those of other views or demonizing them.

2C. Listen to all sides, including the “bad guys,” for expressions of need; work to help everyone meet needs

2D. Eschew bigotry, demonization, one-sided mythologies

As a result, in Politics

3.  God is Love + Omnipotent + God is Truth = Commitment to Doing Right

The truth will set people free – that is, when people find and live in the truth, it will be the best for us and for everyone else.

3A.  Understand that doing the RIGHT thing is the same as doing the BEST thing for all concerned

3B. Approach issues with humility, not assuming they already know everything.

3C.  Assume that each person may be crucial in finding Truth. God may speak through anyone, including nonbelievers.  Having a way to be heard is a basic human need.

3D. Refuse to cut moral corners, manipulate facts or people, or deceive.

3E. Submit to worthy authorities – those in a better position to know the consequences of our choices.

3A.  Encourage dialog; provide safe places for it, listen to others

3B. Work for systems which give each person realistic opportunity to translate needs into political demands (including  time and skill to formulate and press demands)

3C. Speak truth, even when inconvenient or uncomfortable. Refuse to succumb to the temptation to short-circuit Truth by telling only part of it, deceiving, or manipulating; and by avoiding bribery in all its forms.  Seek to have all political decisions made on their merits

3D.  Seek to transform conflict into a joint search for truth

3E.  Incorporate the strengths of others’ views in ideas & proposals

3F.  Work for judiciaries that are accessible, even-handed, bound by law, truth-seeking, reasoned, and self-correcting; submit to such judicial systems

3G.  Work for legislatures that are connected, public spirited, rational, and effective; submit to such legislatures

3A. Value markets for their capacity to reflect human needs and wants, and to provide incentives for others to meet them at a mutually agreeable price, promoting utility by empowering people to design their own lives.

3B.  Listen to the market, and directly to people, as a way to clarify callings

3C. Enhance the market as truth-teller by working for:

* antitrust law to counter monopoly or oligopoly

* practices that discourage misinformation, fraud, and manipulative communication

* liability laws, regulations to pay for externalities 

* elimination of nepotism, protectionism, and other nonconsensual subsidies

* elimination of bribery & other betrayals of  duty

* access to markets by everyone

3D.  Struggle against the spread of depraved demand (vices)

3A. Practice finding consensus or “the sense of the meeting” 

in community decisions.

3B. Ensure that all stakeholders have voice in communities, including necessary resources like time, energy, information, literacy and other communication skills.

3C. Help all parties  speak truth and listen to others; seek to transform conflict into a joint search for truth

3D. Practice courtesy and civility

3E.  Provide places for people to break down stereotypes and other barriers to human connection

3F.  Look for and encourage emergent leaders

As a result, in Politics

Believers must live in the tension between mercy and justice; forgiveness is unconditional; reconciliation may not be complete without  justice.

Relationships are the eternal part of this world. God intends the worst enemies to be closer than brothers someday in paradise

4A. Separate persons from issues

4B.  Model readiness to forgive, and to repent and seek forgiveness

4C.  Model persistence in pursuit of justice for people and on issues

4D.  Stand with the weak and the oppressed when that is what is most needed

4E.  Work constantly for reconciliation

4A. Seek out relationships with all sides in a conflict; refuse to let one side forbid access to other sides.

4B.  Build networks of peacemakers from all sides.

4C.  Break down walls; give space for opponents to meet and establish a human connection; heal memories.

4D. Empathize; work to see issues from all points of view, ultimately from God’s.

4E.  Model forgiveness; accept suffering and still love; hold no grudges

4F. Model confession, repentance, and seeking forgiveness

4G. Advocate for truth and reconciliation in the wake of egregious injustice

4H. Refuse to give in to the temptation to demonize anyone, including one’s worst opponents.

4A. Incorporate jubilee principles into private economic life through generosity (giving, forgiving debt, hiring ex-cons, etc.)

4B. Work to build jubilee ideas into the public economy through such policies as:

* forgiving third world debt,

*accession taxes (rather than death taxes?)

*quality education for all,

* minimum wages and working conditions (worldwide)

* worker ownership of enterprises

* labor unions

* general decentralization of economic power, etc.

4C. Take risks to resolve commercial disputes consensually; minimize adversarial approaches such as litigation

4D. Trust and be trustworthy.

4A.  Seek out relationships with “neighbors”; listen to learn their needs

4B. Build and support processes for peaceful conflict resolution, e.g.,  community mediation, neighborhood organization, etc.

4C.  Provide safe places for private and public civil dialog, establishing human connections; encourage the spread of  loving/ affiliative power within the community

4D. Work with neighbors to ensure that all stakeholders’ needs are considered when churches, etc., plan major changes in land use, etc.

4E. Ask and offer forgiveness.

4f. Model peaceful conflict management in internal congregational conflict, personal lives

As a result, in Politics

Humans are stewards for God, to be unconditionally available to God

5A. Seek to act for God’s purposes

5B. Put everything at God’s disposal

5C. Work diligently for God’s will as God directs

5D. Stay open to the Word of God coming from anyone:

  * rather than entrenched hierarchical leadership, look for emergent servant leadership;

5A. Treat politics as an arena for stewardship. Act as a citizen, and (if called to) run for and fill office, not with the primary goal of furthering one’s own interests or political career, but with the goal of enhancing the truth and reconciliation process by:

* giving voice to those not normally heard

* speaking truth

* treating opponents civilly and lovingly, as fellow laborers in solving public problems, and as dear brothers and sisters.

* listening, expecting God to speak through anyone

* embodying hope and its children, including creativity and persistence

* reducing the influence of corruption and bigotry

5B.  In political life, keep oneself accountable to fellow stewards

5C.  Expect, foster, and hold responsible emergent servant public leaders, and be ready for such a call on oneself

5A.  Treat personal assets as God’s, being held as trustees, not as owners.  This applies to the believer’s:

* wealth

* time

* education

* commercial opportunities

* skills

* selves

5B. Evaluate use of assets by God’s standards of profitability, not just human standards – remembering to be humble before the market

5C. Be spiritual / economic entrepreneurs taking risks for God’s profit

5D. Encourage the diversification of God’s portfolio – liberally support creative spin-offs and start-ups.

5A. Treat community connections as assets to be employed for God’s work

5B. Tithe an appropriate percentage of time, money, energy to service in one or more communities

5C. Be early with projects to meet community needs; take the initiative, look for ways to love

5D. Encourage the construction and nourishment of voluntary civic institutions, from clubs to community service groups, among one’s “neighbors.”

As a result, in Politics

The world is impermanent and flawed.  Suffering will always happen.

The only things designed to be permanent are people and relationships

Christ did all that was necessary to redeem the world, although it appears that at least part of the world will not accept Christ’s gift before He comes again.

6A.  Seek to help redeem the world.

6B.  Accept the likelihood of suffering, and the probability that believers will be asked to voluntarily share in others’ suffering

6C.  View people as infinite in value

6D. Tend to the beauty and health of the created order

6E. Remember to revel in the goodness of the earth, in gratitude for and proper stewardship of God’s creative love

6F. Try to help others to see God in their lives and find a relationship with Him.

6A. Be on guard against, and refuse to participate in, abuses of power and unloving practices

6B.  Love their oppressors, repaying evil with kindness

6C.  Work for strong constitutional and procedural safeguards to limit the damage that can be done by fallen people: checks and balances, accountability, human rights, watchdog groups, etc.

6D. Express and cultivate gratitude for positive features of civic life

6E.  Share in others’ suffering or, if possible, suffer in their stead

6F.  Encourage the public espousal of the highest values and virtues; at worst, creating some constructive hypocrisy; at best improving the political culture; speak to that of God in each person

6A.  Accept reductions in standard of living as required to support jubilee, justice, etc., in the economic system

6B.  Devote economic resources to projects that heal ugliness (beautify) and sin (redeem).

6C. Encourage vocations in industries that heal (medical, environmental, social,  etc.) and build anew  (education, art, engineering, practical trades, etc.)

6D.  Take special care to see customers, suppliers, co-workers as people, never as commodities; remember that each is intended to grow into an eternal relationship

6E. Encourage enterprises to espouse the highest values and virtues; at least creating constructive hypocrisy; at best improving the commercial culture; speak to that of God in each person

6A. Use churches as a central tool in serving and building the community

6B. Devote resources to community projects that beautify and heal

6C.  Revel in one’s “neighbors”

6D. Love the unlovely and the insufferable

6E.  Share in neighbors’ sufferings; refuse to pass by on the other side

6F. Encourage communities to espouse the highest values and virtues; at least creating some constructive hypocrisy; at best improving the local civic culture; speak to that of God in each person

6G. Embody the Kingdom of God and be ready to explain