Gov. Phil Bryant and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson on stage together talking to each other about faith and race was quite interesting to watch.
As it turns out, they are both Methodists. Both are lifelong churchgoers and professed Christians. Both are intelligent, charismatic and passionate about their beliefs. One is a white Republican. One is a black Democrat.
Thompson talked about growing up in Bolton. “I’m part of a generation that had some experiences that even Christians at that time didn’t stand up for, so I know what being persecuted for one’s beliefs is all about.
“Let’s talk a little bit about persecution. My school was named Bolton Colored School. I went past Bolton High School every day. Bolton High School had a gymnasium. It had a cafeteria. It had a library. It had everything that a school should have. But Bolton Colored School didn’t have a gymnasium. It didn’t have a cafeteria. It didn’t have indoor plumbing. But it had dedicated teachers. We had prayers every morning. And I had a community that said if you get a better eduction, they can’t take that from you.
“I never had a new textbook my entire public school career. Every textbook I had was a used textbook. And most of those textbooks had names of children that I didn’t even know. And so you know what I’m talking about. It is the sum total of those experiences that has gotten me to where I am.
“So when Rev. Smith says, just before collection, ‘Asbury, (United Methodist Church in Bolton) you know what you’re faced with. You need to reach in your pocket and dig deep and give liberally to Asbury.’ So if I can give liberally during collection time then that means on Monday if health care is out there to be for everybody then I’m going to do that. If on Tuesday then childcare is being voted, I’m gonna be that vote, because my foundation was at Asbury. That’s how I live my faith.
“If we are Christians, I believe we have a responsibility to address the conditions we live by. We have 278,000 people in our state who don’t have health care because they just can’t afford it. I try to live out that Christian mission as a member of Congress.”
Phil Bryant responded: “I hope Bennie that my background and story, and we all have one, is common enough that there won’t be confusion or misunderstanding.
“My dad was a diesel mechanic, a World War II veteran. We were raised in a household where there wasn’t everything we always wanted. I remember as a child, I would get excited when one of my brothers would get a new shirt because I knew it was going to be mine one day.
“My dad was a hard-working, blue-collar guy. My mom stayed home most of the time. She’d go back to work when she had to to keep things together. That has an affect on all of us as we appreciate where we came from.
“My dad’s attitude was you were going to work when you were around him. He always had something for you to do. He was going to teach you the value and responsibility of taking care of a family, going to church and tithing. I have a story most Mississippians can relate to: hard work, determination, giving back.
“My faith is much larger than the political world we live in. It’s personal. I depend on it each and every day. To me saying we’re going to take religion and say, ‘Well if you’re a Christian, you need to do this or you need to be able to vote for that.’ I think we got a lot of that instruction from someone who wasn’t in government about 2,000 years ago. First it was the Ten Commandments, then it was the Sermon on the Mount. So rather than looking to any political position I may have to determine if that’s the Christian way, I’ve got to look back to the Bible and look at what Jesus instructed us to do and how we should treat one another.
“If we start dividing ourselves, not only politically but also blend in religion, ‘OK, you’re not religious on this or your religion should support that.’ I worry where do we end that? Who is the arbiter of whether or not Christian behavior in the political world is where it should be?
“I’m very pro-life for example. Some people aren’t. I pray that I can understand that your personal faith, your personal relationship with the Lord and Savior, is yours. I’m not going to use that relationship for my political positions and say ‘If you don’t believe the way I believe then you’re not a good enough Christian.’ If we are started down that road, it’s a treacherous path. To judge one another and how our faith might affect the decisions we make every day. The best thing to do is say, ‘My Lord and Savior, lead me where I have to go.’ ”
So there you have it: A very concise framing of a huge issue today in Mississippi by two important political figures.
As Jesus said, “Render unto Rome what is Rome. Render unto God what is God’s.” Christ is more concerned with the nature of our hearts than our public policy preferences.
What Christian does not care about the poor? But how we address the problem of poverty is grounds for reasonable disagreement.
Is a huge government bureaucracy the right solution?
Or should the government tax us less so we can tithe more?
Could churches and individuals better spend charitable money than the government?
I don’t know the answer to these great questions but I believe both Rep. Thompson and Gov. Bryant have their hearts in the right place. That’s the important thing. Kudos to Mission Mississippi for getting us to focus on these profound issues.
