Every time a pastor speaks of politics, someone comments saying that one should not mix politics with religion. I don’t know where they get that from. The Bible mixes politics with religion all the time. In the history of the nation of Israel, God was directly involved in matters of government. Then, in exile, He placed Daniel into the politics of Babylon. He did the same in Persia with Esther, and then also with Nehemiah who was the governor of Jerusalem during the rebuilding of the city’s wall. Due to its interference in everyone’s life, politics is an extremely spiritual matter.

Far beyond being a religion, Christianity is a set of values and principles, a philosophy of life that is part of our identity. It can – and should – participate in public life. Nobody better than ourselves to defend what is important to us. And there is no way of knowing what is important without surrendering everything to God – including our opinions. I went through that. I was left-wing my whole life. I voted for the leftist party from 1998 to 2014. When the Republicans separated from the leftist government, just before the impeachment, and the church started leaning more and more to the right, I confess that I was confused.

For the first time in 16 years, I was disagreeing with the church in some respect and – worse – I wasn’t even understanding the church’s line of thinking on this. I didn’t say anything to anyone, I didn’t criticise them at any point. However, in me, I was conflicted. Therefore, I began to pray, asking God to open the eyes of the bishops as to what they were doing (I was so sure of my opinion). And God’s answer was to show me, subtly, that it was not them who needed to open their eyes.

This realisation came to me deep down and ignited a little warning that, since I had already submitted my entire life to God, I could not ignore. Therefore, I changed my prayer and said, “God, I know that the Church is Yours, that Bishop is Your servant and that he is not crazy. I don’t understand this change of political orientation. I asked You to make them go back to the left but they are going more and more to the right. So, I ask You: if it is me who is wrong, show me. I want to see as the Lord sees and think as the Lord thinks. Therefore, I give the Lord all my opinions and from now on, teach me.”

Thank God for the inspiration of that prayer! From then on, I stopped looking at the right-wing through the left-wing’s way of thinking (which made me see them as crazy and incoherent) and began to seek to understand how they really thought. I hypothesised that I was wrong. I wanted to understand God’s thinking. And He opened up my understanding!

I stopped listening in order to fight and started listening in order to understand. It was like learning a different language. Our perception of the world is structured on the definitions we absorb and the opinions we construct. We don’t have direct access to reality. It comes to us through the interpretation we make of it. Our opinions are the glasses we decide to use in order to see reality. That is why we need to submit them to God and ask Him to mould them according to His opinions because He is the Truth, not us.

And because God is the Truth, then only the “glasses” of the Word of God can allow us to see things the way they really are. I’m glad I made that prayer and was able to understand what really mattered to God. Which of the two sides was committed to the main values that would keep society together and allow evangelism in these last days, and which of the two sides was pursuing other interests, with an anti-Christian slant (obviously they will never admit this in these words, but it is the reality)?

My commitment is not to the right. It is to the Gospel. And now, really understanding both sides, I know that the left-wing is founded on principles contrary to those of the Gospel. However, I don’t claim to convince anyone who is in the same situation today as I was in 2016. My suggestion, then, to those who still question whether this ostensibly right-wing stance that the church is now undertaking is the right one, is: place your political convictions on the Altar and ask God to open your eyes to what HE thinks, so that you may understand His opinion.

I’m not going to lie; it is a very difficult sacrifice to make. This is because placing bad behaviour on the altar is easy, placing an addiction on the altar is easy, placing money on the altar is even easier. However, placing an opinion on the altar? A CONVICTION on the altar? This is much deeper. It is to destroy a fortress in our mind, to build an altar for God. It requires humility, surrender and trust. But like all sincere sacrifices, it generates intimacy with Him and it produces results because it is obedience.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5