Billy Graham: "I would have steered clear of politics"

Pete Wehner has a fine post on the challenges of being a Christian and being politically engaged in our nation.  He points out that Christians need to walk a fine line:  we have an obligation to participate in our nation's governance but we cannot let our political passions replace the grace and charity that should  characterize our lives.

But what Graham was saying — and what Christians need to pay special attention to — is that politics is an arena in which the witness of believers can be easily harmed. Issue by issue, act by act, faith can become — or can be reasonably seen to become — subordinate to a political party or ideology. In addition, the passions and emotions politics can stir up can cause people to act in troubling ways. Grace can give way to bitterness and brittleness, to viewing political opponents as political enemies.

Good advice.  Definitely worth a read here.