A Presidential Candidate, a Gay Man, an Afghanistan War Veteran, a Rhodes Scholar, a Millennial, and an Anglican Walk into a Bar. His Name is Pete Buttigieg.

There are new voices on religion and politics — and they’re coming from the Democratic, and not the Republican side. For example, the first millennial candidate for president, the mayor of a midsize town in the conservative Midwestern state of Indiana, a gay, married man named Pete Buttigieg has been making the rounds talking about what his faith means to him.

Most of us being lifted up as representatives of the “religious left” by reporters discussing the fresh words of Mayor Pete, are not really comfortable with the term “left,” as that is not how we define ourselves. We don’t believe in folding our religion around political ideology — as we see the religious right shamelessly doing every day in their uncritical support of Donald Trump — but rather want to take our commitments as followers of Jesus and as believers in the scriptures into our public life in ways that are willing to challenge all sides. Don’t go right, don’t go left; go deeper into Jesus.

But a whole new and fresh conversation about religion and politics has begun in this election season as we head toward 2020, most prominently right now by a 36-year-old millennial mayor from the conservative Midwest Rust Belt, a Democrat and married gay man, speaking the kind of language that can change old narratives and national conversations. We worship a God who is full of surprises.

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