It’s strange, but no matter where you look, there’s always some sort of political debate going on or ready to break out in the United States. Whether it’s a country music legend dying and already arguing about who did it “right,” a hurricane happening and before the floodwaters have even gone down, someone is already screaming on cable news about whose fault it is, or even in churches, comparing people to each other based on who they voted for instead of what they believe in.
I get it, we live in an age where everyone wants everything to have a huge meaning, but here’s hoping that conservatives don’t take this next step, which I do not believe is conservative-friendly at all: that there are some things that are just about the thing itself. Just because we can twist it all into the culture wars doesn’t mean we should always do that. There are some things that are about the person, the tragedy, the song or the sermon or the moment, and we should not try to take even that away from people. It’s not healthy.
When Trump Made Dolly About Himself
Dolly Parton has died this week at the age of 80, and for around twelve hours, it was rare to see anyone in this country disagree about something. Everyone from Hollywood to Nashville, from the White House to the most politically disengaged neighbor, was paying tribute. Parton has always kept herself out of politics for the majority of her six-decade-long career, refusing the presidential medal of freedom twice so it wouldn’t seem “political,” and she was one of the last remaining cultural icons that managed to keep her appeal across the aisle.
President Trump’s first reaction was perfect, as he ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and called her irreplaceable - the kind of gracious, unifying thing he’s been great at in times like these.
He then apparently couldn’t contain his excitement to talk about something else entirely, and on the Glenn Beck radio show the next morning, he jumped right into the hot seat, going from a eulogy for Dolly Parton to talking about how much she apparently liked him, calculating the number of fans he could lose, and talking about his poll numbers in the next election. Many of his fans probably wish he could’ve kept it about Dolly for once, and this is, yet again, an example of how this president just can’t seem to let anything be about itself.
Is it a big deal? Not really, but it’s a shame, and it’s a shame that reflects badly on the kind of discourse we want to have in this country. It’s an unfortunate statement about our society that we feel the need to politicize even a brief, shared moment of unity and grief for something as non-political as a country music icon.
Democrats Do It Too - Usually Faster
Before conservatives go all self-righteous about this, let’s keep in mind that both sides do this kind of stuff. The left has a habit of politicizing pretty much everything, usually faster and louder. When a mass shooting happens, before the perpetrators are even caught, everyone on the left is already on camera talking about how gun control is going to change because of it. When a natural disaster happens, the first questions are about climate change before anyone even thinks about what can be done to help the victims. The last time Texas had those deadly floods, before any of the rescues had even finished, already some partisan warriors on both sides were fighting about whose fault it was, with the Democrats eventually realizing on the air that it was impeding their ability to help. The reflex is the same on both sides, with the only real difference being the subject they’re screaming about.
Now They’re Coming for the Church
This next one is actually really scary. For a long time, the only place where politics weren’t actually about politics was in churches. It was one of the few places where Republicans and Democrats could get along, but now it seems it’s trying to become another battleground. With pastors openly endorsing candidates, congregations splitting up based on their political views, “Christian nationalism” becoming a bad word for wanting to bring faith into government, and conservatives doing the same things with MAGA hats and Bible verses, it’s becoming more difficult for everyone to see themselves in something bigger than their political identity.
They actually aren’t the same thing at all. Jesus was hardly ever about politics. He did not support the “political” party of his time, he confused the political zealots of his day, and he baffled the religious leaders by refusing their questions about paying taxes to Rome. When they tried to trap him, he said to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God, what is God’s.” He didn’t endorse either side and stopped them from making him a political figure. As soon as we began applying political tests to faith, we stopped believing in faith at all.
Some Things Should Just be Allowed to be What They Are
Not everything has to have a hot take, not every disaster needs to become a political discussion point, and not every church needs to have an official stance on everything. We’ve become so used to having an opinion about everything, all the time, that we forget that the most human thing we can do is simply to enjoy a moment, to appreciate someone for what they are, not what they can give us. Dolly Parton has spent her life doing that, and maybe now is a good time for the rest of us to try it too.