Tis the season to embrace Jesus in the Democratic Party
By: Cal Harris
Tags: Progressive, Democratic Party, Politics, Christianity, Social Justice

Politics offer a moral arena for people to come together and find common ground on pressing issues. But despite the sharp parallels between Democrat policies and Christian principles, the Democratic Party has casually allowed conservatives to pilfer the narrative around the politics of Jesus.

Indeed, the same Republican Party concerned with preserving the status quo has successfully monopolized a religion founded by a political revolutionary who fervently confronted the oppressive political, social, and economic institutions of his day. Isn’t it ironic?

Rev. Jesse Jackson sought to establish a moral standard during his historic presidential runs by regularly urging Democrats to “heed the call of conscience.” During a keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, Jackson proclaimed that the Democratic Party was “called to a perfect mission” of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, teaching the illiterate, providing jobs to the jobless, and prioritizing humanity over war.

Moreover, Jackson even described the people who the Democratic Party were called to represent as “the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected, and the despised.”

Sounds like a campaign Jesus would run, right?

Jackson was undoubtedly ahead of his time as his politics were a far cry from what we often witness from today’s Democratic Party, which is akin to that house with the flashy lights and gaudy ornaments but inside lacks benevolence and Christmas cheer.

We often judge the viability of a potential candidate based on credentials and ability to fundraise rather than the principles that forge their outlook on leadership. And though progressive policy platforms play a meaningful role in engaging voters, they are essentially useless without moral conviction.

Simply put, Democrats must promote leaders who can prove that addressing the prolonged suffering in society is a true vocation rather than calculated political posturing.

Leaders like Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., spoke candidly about his faith throughout his historic 2018 mayoral campaign. An ordained minister, Scott adopted “It’s Time” as a campaign slogan in reference to the fateful conversation between Mordecai and Esther in the Old Testament of the Bible. The slogan helped illustrate his conviction to service and eventually modeled his approach towards governing.

Harris County, Texas Clerk, Chris Hollins grabbed national headlines for leading the battle for voter access over mail-in ballots and drive-thru polls. While many cited Hollins’ pedigree (Morehouse, HBS, YLS, and McKinsey) to rationalize his triumph in fending off callous attempts to suppress voters, it was actually his faith that inspired the fight. Hollins frequently recognized voting as a means to honor God by showing concern for those who suffer.

With early voting underway in Georgia and control of the U.S. Senate in the balance, tis the season for people of faith to finally adhere to the righteous calls from Reverends William Barber and Dr. Howard-John Wesley to challenge Christian nationalism and white Evangelicalism that deviously manipulate morality.

Will history characterize our politics this season by the misplaced compassion bestowed to the powerful few, or will we be judged on a political approach focused on serving the least of our brothers and sisters as Jesus demonstrated?