I recently read a comment posted by a reader which got me thinking. My last several blogs have had a decidedly political tone to them. And while I strongly believe in the Christian community's obligation to stand up to our government (particularly when our current laws fly in the face of truth and justice), I don't believe that all of our efforts should be politically focused. What is so unique about the church is that we have the ability to reach far beyond the realm of the government. The church can actually impact the lives of individuals in specific communities around the world.
At work last week, some colleagues and I were lamenting the lack of protection for children in our society. (Let me be clear. I do not work for a religious organization of any kind. However, all of us, from all kinds of backgrounds, see this as a big problem in our country.) Anyway, as we were talking we all came to the conclusion that regardless of our governments or agencies, true change will only come about if we are willing to go outside of our 8 to 5 professional world and allow our passion to enter into our personal lives. We cannot only care about the lives of others while we're "on the clock". We must be willing to embrace these beliefs as a way of life.
Which brings me back to the church. If we are going to preach the words of Jesus Christ, then let us live out those words as well. Let's role up our sleeves and get our hands dirty doing real work for real people. If our goal is to simply give money or sing songs then nothing will happen. But what if we invited those people into our homes? Specifically, what if we used our time, money, and resources in order to adopt children in need? What if we opened our homes to foster children? What if we opened our lives to unwed single mothers? What if we just changed our lives instead of waiting for our government to do it for us?
You do know this is Sarah Banks right? I definitely agree that life does not belong to Ceaser or any government. It almost seems petty that the government would try to regulate the "rules" on life, but we can't go off into anarchy. I do think that there are so many more things the Christian community could focus on rather than politics. Just because something is a law doesn't make it right or wrong. I'm against the death penalty, but it is legal. The government is just not a good measuring stick for morality, so I really think that the Christian community should turn its attention elsewhere. I realize many will disagree with that point of view.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their own value system, so it just becomes too hard to tell people what they can and can't do. Every Christian will interpret the Bible differently, and who is to say who is right or wrong? But the other end of the spectrum is complete anarchy, wherein lies the quandry.
Hey Sarah! (I did not know that was you!! I'm very glad that you're reading!!)I definitely believe that Christians should focus on things other than the government. However, I think it's a bit of a cop out for us to ignore politics all together. We can look back on history and see that's not the way to go. Look at Nazi Germany. What if Christians had stood up to the government or intervened before millions of people had to die. There are issues in Scripture that are unclear and worthy of respectful debate. However, if we deny people the right to live then it's not only a moral issue, but it threatens our own freedom. Will we ultimately allow our government to condone murder? Where we will draw the line? Will we decide to "get rid of" children who are a drain on our economy? Will the sick or mentally ill be worthy of life? It's too big of an issue for us not to intervene. (I also think these same questions should be asked concerning the death penalty and issues of war. Abortion is my biggest cause because the victims here are so overwhelmingly helpless and innocent.) Thank you for your thoughtful comments! I really enjoy the conversation!
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