Newt Gingrich is dead in the water despite his valiant swim against the tide. The amalgamation of Mr. Gingrich’s civic experience, rhetorical skill and political savvy should make him a blue chip 2012 candidate. He isn’t. The man’s baggage will eventually break his back. Frankly, I’m surprised he’s attempting to make the White House his address.
He would annihilate President Obama in a debate; that encounter would get incredibly ugly in record time. But as David Bahnsen writes “Debating has never been his weakness though, and his weaknesses are insurmountable.” Indeed. America is untethered from its Christian history yet it demands a certain level of private chastity from it’s public servants. Mr. Gingrich cannot overcome that hurdle; his personal indiscretions ruin his presidential viability.
What can Christians glean from Newt Gingrich’s hopeless 2011 run for the prize? We can learn that our lives must reflect the glory of Christ. If our actions don’t coincide with the Gospel then our words will not resound with the unchurched, unbelieving world. The charge of hypocrisy, if levied in this case, would prove just. When religious insincerity becomes a social reality the cause of Christ is not only damaged, but in some contexts marred beyond repair. It can take years to exculpate the stain. Think of the televangelist scandals of the 1980’s. I still hear about the foolishness. How long will it take the Roman Catholic Church to exonerate itself of the pedophile disgrace?
In Matt. 23:27, Jesus castigates the religious poseurs of his day: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” This might sound odd to our 21st century ears but the cultural backdrop of Jesus’ accusation is an exegetical oasis. The Pharisees considered themselves paragons of ritual purity and their attention to the Mosaic Code was legendary. The common folk both feared and admired the Pharisees for their covenantal zealotry. In Numbers 19, we read that contact with a dead person resulted in ceremonial uncleanliness. So, in light of that passage, we can grasp the horrifying brutality of Jesus tirade against His opponents. The Lord despises any hint of Christian artifice. He’s earned the right to demand a genuine commitment to a holy life from those who claim His kingship.
I don’t know if Newt Gingrich is a born-again believer; I cannot delve into the man’s heart. Nor am I charging him with hypocrisy because he’s positioning himself as a candidate of ideas and not one of cultural morality. That ship has long ago sailed as a political option for him. I’m arguing that his private affairs have ruined his presidential aspirations, and we might be the worse for it because professionally he has the goods. I’m using Mr. Gingrich as a tragic example of what can occur when our deeds eradicate our potential.
The world is watching you, Christian, whether or not you notice its gaze. The world desperately needs Christ; its pain and suffering are palpable. Christ appointed the Church as His witnesses (Matt. 28). Go forth and grant Him the testimony He deserves.
Blue Chip Christian 