I’ve been reading a lot, probably too much, political commentary about what to make of the nation’s political scene. As a native New Englander, currently living in the perennially blue state of Massachusetts, I’m legitimately curious about how to understand our divided nation. Maybe you are too? Maybe not?

If you are, then here are a couple of stories that I think might help you to come to your own conclusions.

Let’s set the stage with some data points.

Church membership is falling. You may have seen this recent Pew study that shows a majority of the nation does not even tangentially belong to a church community. Not the end of the world, obviously, as we’ve collectively been riding the high of the 1950s church for a long time.

Politics continues to play a role in our collective religious expression. Here’s an opinion piece that blames that drop on the religious right. The piece makes an interesting point: “The drop in religious affiliation starts right around the time George W. Bush was elected president, publicly and dramatically associating himself with the white evangelical movement.” I read this and think about 9-11, with people first flocking to churches for support and then leaving them in droves.

Sadly, as this piece from FiveThrityEight, makes clear Local News Coverage Is Declining — And That Could Be Bad For American Politics. Being a former local news reporter, I can say less local news means more political trouble, less engagement, and oversight.

We are, it seems, to be a divided nation. The media tells me this, politicians say so, and the flag flying at my neighbor’s house a few doors down screaming (expletive) Biden most definitely tells me so. The most interesting piece comes from Salon, read it here, which argues that this division may reflect a split between those who stay and those that leave.

If the past is a prologue, then the events of Jan. 6 will, just like Sept, 11th, codify and change the world of the church. If we add in the exponential impact of the pandemic, then we are in for a radically shifted theological and church normal in the coming years.

Once, long ago, American democracy was founded upon the democratic ideals of the local church and congregation. People, here in New England, gathered each year for Town Meeting, a tradition many of our congregations still hold. There is some sense, call it a nostalgic hope, that our larger political structures echoed that willingness to come together as neighbors and find common ground. I think, when politicians speak of the democratic Soul of America, they are in some way looking back to this ideal.

(End overly simplistic historical anecdote.)

But, as we in the church know, the sacred middle ground that held that space for the nation has been hollowed out over the years. Church decline is nothing new. Newspapers have been declining for decades. Divisions have been growing.

So what?

A few more observations.

• The disconnect between those who stay and those who leave is real.
• Political instability is not good for faith expression.
• Less local media leads to less awareness of local issues, which leads to further division.

Add this up, you end up with a society that is increasingly divided, polarized, and uninformed. So, I suspect these trends will continue to produce events like Jan. 6.

Here’s my point. I think the greatest sin for the denomination and the local church to fall for is a failure of imagination. I’m 42 years old. My first job was working for K-Mart; remember that realtor of the blue light special fame. Gone. I worked for other stores through college; most gone or nearly so. The local paper I wrote for. Gone. A church I served. Gone.

And, I can honestly say, in all of those cases nobody really ever took seriously the potential that the work they were doing would no longer be done, or the world wouldn’t need them, or that they could simply go away.

So, here’s what we do.

We reconsider what Jesus meant about the Kingdom independent of the nation state. We stop thinking of the government as being a shining beacon on the hill and instead consider it as a more radical alternative. We accept that our tradition is moving into a different more fluid phase of its life, with the rise of online church and all the rest. And, we most importantly, resist the temptation to return to some sort of normal.

I believe we must work hard to re-imagine what church means, in a way that is very different than what we understand it to have been or, even, feel comfortable doing. I think we are entering a phase of church life that will be marked by scattered tribes of faithful unencumbered by much of the institutions we have known.

Our task is to find interesting ways to reconnect with those who share our values and hope that the Still Speaking God has more to say about this world and God’s people.

I dislike my neighbor’s flag, but I can’t help but admit it does effectively claim a spot in the world and a membership in a certain tribe. Jesus reminds us that we can’t choose our neighbors, but we can choose how we respond to them.

So, on my good days, I drive past that flag and send joyful waves in its direction. I think you can imagine my less good days. So, I’ll end with the thought that it may come to pass, ages hence, when the local church as we know it has passed on that the people in the pews will become the salt that changes the world.

And, that is no small thing.

In the comments below, tell me what you think? How do you understand our political and religious moment?

Rev. Jeremiah Rood is a freelance writer, minister, and stay-at-home dad. He has served congregations in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his wife and daughter. For more book thoughts read his reviews at Foreword Review. For more information please visit him at www.revjeremiahrood.com