THE ASCENDANT LIBERAL

Several days ago I was watching a panel discussion on television which was attempting to tackle some of the most controversial issues facing our society today. As is typical of televised panel discussions, both sides quickly degenerated into an attempt to shout down opposing viewpoints. If you squinted your eyes you could almost imagine them as enraged chimps hurling feces, beating the ground and shaking branches. It was about as comfortable to watch as an eyeball extraction. Only a macabre fascination with their red-faced huffery and puffery kept me from changing the channel. In the wake of the furor surrounding Chick Fil-A's support of a traditional definition of marriage the discussion predictably turned toward gay marriage. One of the panelists, a young lady whose credentials were printed on the bottom of the screen as a DNC strategist, made the observation that the arc of history is marching unstoppably toward the legalization of gay marriage and the normalization of homosexual relationships. She confidently presented it as an inevitability, and predicted a coming day when popular attitudes would adjust to reflect greater acceptance of homosexual relationships and gay marriage. She drew some tiresome comparisons between the current debate and the civil rights movement of the 60's, and concluded that although homosexuals still had hills to climb things were generally trending in the direction of increased acceptance. Clearly, in her view, opponents of the movement were on the wrong side of history and would one day change their minds or die, leaving a more enlightened generation at the nation's helm. At the risk of coming off as a fatalist, I actually agreed with her that this is most likely the trajectory of things, but I can only imagine we hold differing emotions about such an outcome.

That is not the point of this post, however.

The thought I've been chewing on for the past couple of days is this, and I'm a little surprised that I've never thought of it before; Liberals fully expect our society to someday evolve beyond  conservatism. They believe that conservative thought will one day cease to play a significant role in shaping our society. Conservatives, on the other hand, hold no such expectation for a post-liberal America. In short, conservatives don't think liberals are going anywhere. The implications are enormous for the dialogue(a polite sort of word which does not accurately capture the spirit of the discourse I've witnessed on televised panel discussions) between the two camps. 

The dynamic, which largely goes unspoken, is that liberal thought is ascendant, unstoppable as the tide, and conservatism is back on its heels in a permanent posture of defense. Conservatives may still win a few significant national elections, possibly even the upcoming presidential election, but that would not negate the general thrust of my position. The only chance that conservatism has of surviving is to be redefined to such an extent that it is merely a more conservative form of liberalism.

Liberals have no reason to be tolerant of conservatives or respectful of their perspective. After all, in their minds conservatives are already irrelevant- an ideological speed bump.

Although it would be fair to describe me as "conservative" with regards to my political preferences, my primary identity is that of a Christian. As such, I believe in a larger metanarrative, which transcends the waxings and wanings of the American socio-political scene, and which finds its eventual culmination in the judgment at the end of time. The church was made for such a time as this. God has brought His people and the country in which they live to this intersection so that who He is can be put on full display through the church.

I am supremely confident in the ultimate victory of Christ. "Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." (Phil. 2:11)

During these days of huffery and puffery, panel discussions and rancorous debate I am finding it increasingly helpful to untether from my identity as a conservative American and settle more firmly into my role as an ambassador for Christ.

Speak the truth with love.

Be eager to do what is good.

Let your words toward outsiders be seasoned with salt.