How Politics Can Become an Idol

We are finishing up Tim Keller's "Counterfeit Gods" tonight in our Wednesday night Bible study. It has been an enlightening study regarding false worship and the idols in our lives.
Tonight, among other things, we are talking about how politics can be an idol. Keller says,
"We can also look to politics. We can look upon our political leaders as 'messiahs' our political policies as saving doctrine, and turn our political activismu into a kind of saving doctrine. One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of lif. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, out response is complete panic. We do not say, 'What a shame, how difficult,' but rather 'This is the end! There's no hope!'
"This may be a reason why so many people now respond to U.S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a cetain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel. When their political leaders are out of power, they experience a death. They believe that if their policies and people are not in power, everything will fall apart."
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Keller is right. I used to give an inordinate amount of time and attention to politics and watching the news. At some point several years ago I realized that most of what I was thinking about had nothing to do with me. The news was full of sensationalism, gossip, and fearmongering. I am not saying that we should not be informed. We should be. But, we should keep things in perspective and place our hope and trust in God. The government cannot save us and demonizing our political opponents is not helpful.
For several years now, I have advocated a position of being prophetic instead of political, which means that we must be tied to a Biblical perspective on life, we must affirm what is right and good, and we must denounce what is negative and evil - no matter which party the behavior comes from. Party politics always requires a level of compromise and subjugation to power. But, taking a prophetic stance changes the equation. It enables you to submit to God and represent His truth in all of life without adhering to worldly power plays. Ultimately, we should look to God and not political power as our source of meaning, security, and provision.
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