“I wouldn’t give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn’t have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too.” — Senator Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise and serpents and innocent as doves.” — Jesus (Matthew 10:16)
I’m no expert on international relations, but I do recognize how difficult it is for Christ followers to “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). A thorough, Christ-exalting worldview isn’t easy to maintain, as it’s far easier to let ourselves be shaped by cultural winds and political jargon. So it’s always a good idea to remind ourselves of some of the central truths which ought to shape our understanding of issues as critical as those we see presently on the world stage.
For what it’s worth, I’d like to offer my pastoral perspective on a few of these matters. These aren’t meant as critique on any level, but are intended as food for thought, that the church may function as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) – just as you and I’ve been called to live faithfully in every season.
1. An honest look at American history reveals that we’ve been shaped by a somewhat unique understanding of human nature. I trace this back to our Judeo-Christian heritage. At its core, this includes a commitment to personal freedom as a God-given and intrinsic right – see the Declaration of Independence (1776) – with an understanding that freedom doesn’t come to any people without sweat and sacrifice. This foundational principle shaped the self-understanding of God’s people from the days of Moses and the Exodus, and found its way into our nation’s founding principles of self-government.
2. America’s longstanding commitment to order ourselves by way of a constitutional republic, housing three distinct yet interdependent branches of government, has stood the test of time at least in part because we inherited a realistic assessment of the human proclivity toward sin and selfishness. Given half a chance, I’ll enjoy my liberty while trampling over yours. Thus we’ve upheld wisely the need for checks and balances in government. You might say that the Bible’s clear description of our sin nature made its way into our American framework, and – despite our getting it wrong more than once – this has served us well.
3. As a nation, we have moral responsibilities to protect ourselves and our allies, but we’ve learned the hard way – I hope – that money, resources, and “democracy” on paper are insufficient to promote human flourishing in other parts of the world. Though the ideals may be noble, where there is a commitment to Islamic authoritarianism, there is de facto a drastically different and entirely antagonistic theological underpinning. In their basic presuppositions, our Founders were absolutely correct: freedom can’t be generated by government; it comes directly from God.
4. Our Judeo-Christian ethic reminds us never to lose sight of the truth about how lives are changed. External changes of behavior are of limited value; what God desires for us is a change of heart – change from the inside out – which only He can accomplish (Deuteronomy 30:6; Ezekiel 36:26). And the gospel of Jesus underscores this reality even more fundamentally: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We who know the Lord, the “ambassadors of Christ” according to the Scriptures (2 Corinthians 5:20), know that true freedom comes only to transformed people – people to whom God has freely given a brand-new nature, and who are no longer defined by sin. Ultimately, you and I can’t look to politics to fix anybody.
5. The glorious and exhilarating “ministry of reconciliation” to which you and I have now been called, in our risen and reigning Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-19), propels us forward to a life of humble service – despite our occasional or even regular frustrations stemming from widespread human depravity. We don’t hurl insults from the sidelines, but we pray for those in positions of power to be visited with wisdom from on high (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Our God is able, always.
6. Nor do we lose hope, sisters and brothers. We serve the great God who rescued the slaves in Egypt, and today our gracious Father is no less committed to the sanctity of all human life. Terrorism, totalitarianism, human trafficking – and other godless, lawless ideologies – may appear to be winning in many parts of the world, but not one of these will triumph in the end. This is God’s world. So you and I will speak the good news of Christ into every dimension of the brokenness that permeates Planet Earth, trusting our Sovereign Lord – often in spite of us – to do spectacular things for His own praise and glory (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 3:20-21)!
7. So we who are blessed to run our race as the hands and feet of Christ must fix our eyes firmly on Him, “the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). In 1834, Edward Mote of England penned hymn lyrics still capable of stirring our exhausted and anxious hearts from apathy to action … “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
Pastor Charles
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