How Should a Christian Respond to "Woke Politics"?
Introduction
"Woke politics" is a cultural term that generally refers to an intense focus on social and systemic injustices related to race, gender, and power dynamics. While these movements often champion causes Christians should care about (like justice and equality), their underlying philosophies often conflict with the Christian worldview regarding sin, identity, and ultimate truth.
A Christian's response must therefore be one of careful discernment, embracing what aligns with God's commands for justice, and rejecting what subverts the Gospel.
1. Discernment: Separating Justice from Philosophy
The first step is to use biblical discernment to evaluate the movement's claims and identify its root assumptions.
Affirm Biblical Justice: The Bible explicitly mandates that Christians fight for justice and care for the vulnerable. When "woke politics" identifies real instances of oppression, discrimination, or systemic unfairness, the Christian should affirm that injustice is occurring and act to correct it. Our response must be fueled by mercy and action.
Scripture Says: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8).
Reject Unbiblical Foundations: "Woke politics" often draws from secular philosophies (like postmodernism or critical theories, as discussed in the lesson on CRT) that reject objective moral truth and the biblical understanding of identity. When these movements substitute social categories for God's ultimate authority, or blame systems instead of acknowledging universal sin, the Christian must reject the underlying philosophy.
Scripture Says: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:8).
2. The Mandate for Identity and Reconciliation
Two core areas where Christian theology offers a necessary correction to "woke politics" are identity and the pathway to peace.
Ultimate Identity is in Christ, Not Race or Status: "Woke politics" often makes race, gender, or victim status the central, defining feature of a person's life and worth. The Christian worldview teaches that every person's ultimate identity is found in being created in God's image and, for the believer, in being one in Christ Jesus. This shared identity transcends all earthly divisions.
Scripture Says: "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." (Colossians 3:11).
Reconciliation Over Perpetual Division: While "woke politics" often focuses on dividing people into permanent categories of oppressor and oppressed to achieve political ends, the Christian mandate is reconciliation—the process of restoring relationships. The Gospel brings peace and unity that political theory cannot provide.
Scripture Says: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18). The Christian response must seek to bridge divides through sacrificial love, not widen them through accusation.
3. Practical Response: Love, Gentleness, and Engagement
The Christian's engagement with these cultural movements must always be marked by Christ-like character, even when opposing the ideas.
Respond with Gentleness and Respect: Whether engaging in dialogue online or in person, the Christian must uphold the biblical command to respond with grace. We must challenge the philosophy without attacking the person. Our response should aim to demonstrate the superiority of the Gospel's truth.
Scripture Says: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15).
Focus on Action, Not Just Rhetoric: The most powerful Christian response to injustice is not a political post or a heated debate, but active, Christ-like service to those who are genuinely marginalized or suffering. By doing good, we demonstrate the genuine love and commitment to justice that God demands.
Conclusion
The Christian should respond to "woke politics" by being a discerning agent of truth and reconciliation. We must affirm the call for justice and mercy (Micah 6:8) while firmly rejecting the secular philosophical assumptions that deny universal sin and objective truth (Colossians 2:8).
The ultimate Christian response is to live out the truth that Christ is the ultimate source of identity and the means of true reconciliation, treating all people with the gentleness and respect commanded in Scripture.
