Ministers at the Mansion

"Would you be interested in joining a group of ministers for lunch and an open discussion with Governor Jindal at the Governor's Mansion?"

It was one of the easier questions I had to answer this week.

To be honest I showed up today a little cynical. On one hand my respect for Governor Jindal is very high. Last summer we invited the governor to share his testimony at our church. I had checked with several folks who had assured me that he would not be political and that he would give a strong witness to the work of God in his life.

I was not disappointed. It would have been a powerful word from any anyone....but from the sitting governor of your state....it was amazing! It was the gospel story lived out in one man's life.

Yet I was still cynical today. My experience is the governor is a sincere man. But he is also a strategic man. (He didn't just arrive where he is today by accident.) Over the years I have observed that politicians have been far more effective using the church than the church has been in using politicians.

After the governor spent almost 90 minutes with us today, I am deeply convinced of his sincerity. I am convinced he would rather lose an election than compromise his faith and convictions.

Many at the table pray he never does either.

Which left me with a fresh concern. I can not read the hearts of other men, but I sensed that many heard the same convictions that I heard and saw hope. Not only for our state but may be even for our nation. This may be true. It certainly seems we could do worse!

But as I surveyed the room, twenty pastors and a governor. I could not help but notice the imbalance of power. For so many of the issues addressed, it was us as pastors that had the greatest opportunities for influence. It is the pulpit and the pew (or stool and folding chair) that is most leveraged to change the spiritual climate of our nation.

While the merits of trickle down economics may still be debated, there is no such thing as trickle down faith!

Pastors, may we raise up more men and women with the convictions and courage Bobby Jindal appears to have. Our nation (and our next door neighbor) could really benefit if we did.