"Fiddler on the Roof" is one of my all-time favorite stories. It follows the life of a faithful Jewish family in Russia during the time of the Bolshevik revolution. In one conversation between Hodel and the young Bible teacher, Perchik, Perchik reveals his conviction that all of life is political.

Perchik says to Hodel: “There is a question, a certain question… I wish to discuss with you. It’s… a political question.”

“Yes, what is it?” Hodel asks.

“The question of marriage,” says Perchik.

“This is a political question?” Hodel asks.

“Why yes, yes, everything is political,” asserts Perchik.

If ethics (the primary theme of this column) has to do with how people get along with each other, we do well to understand Perchik’s point: All of life is political. We often think that politics is an ugly, negative and perhaps evil enterprise. But we need not think this way. Politics is not necessarily bad and ugly.

If the word "politics" simply describes the dynamics of human relationships, then it is not necessarily evil. Of course, human leanings toward evil will likely result in ugly politics—even in the Church. But, being the optimist that I am, and believing that the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, I would like to think that the politics in our Church can have some positive outcome.

Some people may well find their best fit within the ministries of the Church through the political dynamics of local church boards, nominating committees and potluck hospitality teams. Some folks may actually enjoy conference, union, division and General Conference decision-making processes. After all, we do believe that the Holy Spirit is in the midst of these very processes, these very same human dynamics which some rightly label as politics.

Remember in Acts as the early church struggled with how to understand the blending of Jewish religion with an emerging Christian faith? After meetings in both Antioch and Jerusalem, the leadership of the church wrote a letter beginning with these words: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28). Ideally, the Holy Spirit flows through all of life, all of politics, especially in the church.

This summer in St. Louis, church delegates from all over the world will meet for the 58th session of the General Conference for our Seventh-day Adventist Church. Let’s celebrate the positive politics that will happen on a grand scale on that occasion. And let’s celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit through it all!