I confess, I can be so politically oblivious at times. That is why as I launched into Romans 13 this morning I sort of ho-hummed and thought, “Yes, I know, we’re supposed to be subject to the authorities and obey the law.” Not much to say about this passage. It is relevant but marginal. Little did I know how relevant it was until I opened my Igoogle on my way to posting this blog. In the NPR news, I found an article explaining why some people want to put an end to the governmentally proclaimed National Day of Prayer. They have some reasonable objections regarding freedoms, though they seem a little extreme to me. As a Christian, though, I must think about what my belief system tells me about my relationship to the government. From Romans 13 and other places, I learn at least a few things:
“Be subject to the governing authorities.” “Be a good citizen.” (Two different translations of Romans 13:1). Now what that means becomes a little tricky, especially when we look at the second part of the verse:
“All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it is God’s peace and order.” Remember that God really is the Sovereign King of the Cosmos, and all plans and politics are ultimately under his rule, even when it appears He may be missing something.
So live responsibly as a citizen.” This last part of the verse, as it is translated by Eugene Peterson gives room for the law of love of God and neighbor to supersede governmental laws when they do harm to God’s creation. Consider Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela as examples of citizens living responsibly while fighting the law of the land.
Moving beyond this verse into the larger context of Scripture:
Respect governmental authorities. Tim Keller has a wonderful section in Counterfeit Gods describing how and why we have a tendency to “demonize” political opponents. I have to swallow hard when I hear Romans 13 telling me to be “subject” to authority…at the very least it means to have a humble attitude and to respect them.
Pray for governments and elected officials. Every day. I don’t know whether it’s constitutional to have a National Day of Prayer or not. This I do know, especially considering the powerlessness we feel over some of the decisions made by our elected officials, we must develop a discipline of praying for them — EVERY DAY. Pray for wisdom, insight, humility, love, health, family, among other things. Don’t just pray that they will adopt your agenda. Do pray that they will bow before the King of all governments.
When I am sad, music soothes my soul. The last several days I’ve found myself drawn and repelled by television news…we are again in a season of suffering, and images of floods, oil spills, and averted bombs flood the airwaves. Two days ago my husband and I headed to Pensacola Beach to take part in a pre-oil debris cleanup. I’ll be honest – I wasn’t sure our measly efforts to pick up a few plastic bottlecaps (our beach is kept fairly litter-free) would make much of a difference in the darkness spreading our way. But when a Canadian freelance reporter asked my husband and me why we were participating, I unhesitatingly affirmed what I believe, “Because it is a small way to take part in restoring beauty in the midst of brokenness.”
It is true, the light is coming SOON. Though SOON may not seem soon enough in our suffering, let’s remember daily that God has already redeemed and is continuing to restore until the day when there will be no more darkness ever again.
I couldn’t find a video link of this song, but it is beautiful as is the whole album. Click here if you want to play a sample:
Creation groans under the weight of two different floods today: oil in the Gulf Coast and waters in Tennessee and surrounding areas. For the past 24 hours, the words of Isaiah 43 have provided more comfort than ever before. I know they are true even when it may seem otherwise.
1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.
5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will gather you and your children from east and west.
6 I will say to the north and south,
‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel
from the distant corners of the earth.
7 Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’”
Isaiah 43:1-7, NLT
Oh, Lord, redeem our failure to steward this glorious creation you have given us with care and foresight. Forgive us for greed and short-sightedness that has led to creation catastrophe.
I admit it, I’m pretty angry today. I also confess, I have to include myself in the ranks of people I am angry with, for historically I’ve been fairly apathetic about the issue of drilling off the coast. But now it’s hitting home, quite literally, as oil seeps its way toward the beautiful white beaches of the Gulf Coast, and I am thinking hard about the creation call to humans to exercise “dominion” over the earth. Listen to Cornelius Plantinga’s helpful words on the subject:
“Christians and others have sometimes taken dominion as justification for the ‘conquest’ of nature — language that once appeared routinely in social science textbooks. The language of conquest suggested that we humans were at war with God’s nonhuman creation, that roaming herds and burgeoning forests were somehow our enemy. Such language showed that we had lost the biblical portrait of shalom and that we needed to repent and recover it.
Nonetheless the Bible is not the problem here. The Bible speaks of dominion, not in the sense of conquest, but in the sense of stewardship. After all, how does God himself exercise dominion? How does God demonstrate hospitality in creation and providence?
In the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed, dominion is never ‘lording over’; it’s more like ‘lording under’ by way of support. In the kingdom of God, to have dominion is to care for the well-being of others. To have dominion is to act like the mediator of creation. This means that a human steward of God’s good creation will never exploit or pillage; instead, she will give creation room to be itself. She will respect it, care for it, empower it. Her goal is to live in healthy interdependence with it. The person who practices good animal husbandry, forest management, and water conservation shows respect for God by showing respect for what God has made.” Cornelius Plantinga, Engaging God’s World
Elizabeth's passion to tell the Big Story of redeeming love through the everyday events and the oftentimes crises of life reveals the melody of God’s grace and the beauty of his truth. [read more]
