Switchfoot’s Politicians

The new Switchfoot album is fast becoming a favorite of mine, especially the song, Politicians. The album overall is less pop and more grunge, which seems to suit Foreman’s group just fine. Of course, some will take Politicians as an anti-political rant. Which it may well be. You decide:

I pledge allegiance to a country without borders,
without politicians
Watching for my sky to get torn apart.
We are broken, we are bitter,
we’re the problem, we’re the politicians
Watching for my sky to get torn apart.

The “torn apart” sky is the only answer; the coming of the Son of Man when the heavens are rent.

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up
Revelation 6:14

…and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matt. 24:30

Long ago, I abandoned the hope that politics would change the world. A necessary evil? Yes. Scripture teaches that government is designed and empowered by God. Freedom demands restraint. A world without government is anarchy, and even those who prescribe to anarchy want the freedom to state their views. Nevertheless, as long as government is run by sinful men — we’re the problems, we’re the politicians — it will be deeply flawed.

I have problems with the notion that Christians can change the world through a political apparatus. While we cannot bail on the process, we also cannot bank on it. It is the human heart which needs changed, and no amount of laws and legislation can transform the inner man. My Savior is not a politician; His district is not of this world and His constituency are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13).

I appreciate that the song Politicians does not degenerate into conservative / Bush bashing which all too many Christian artists seem willing to do these days. We’re all part of the mess, after all “we are broken, we are bitter, we’re the problem…” But, like the boys in the band, I pledge allegiance to a country without borders, without politicians — a “heavenly country” (Heb. 11:6) that will only be realized when the sky gets torn apart.