“I hate that guy!” “The world would be a better place if she just died today” “If I only had a gun I would…”
We have been seeing, and quite possibly feeling, the deep frustrations of people upset over the governmental leadership they now find themselves under. This has led to marches, rantings on social media, public displays of rage and heated debates around many social spheres at work, home and play. With any political change-up, we find that certain people will be fearful, frustrated, and angry while others will be joyful, optimistic and quite happy about who has been voted to be the ‘first among equals.’
In Ontario, where I currently make my home, I read with dismay some of the death threats (or at least the vivid wishes she were dead) being made about the Premier of the Province via twitter. What concerned me even more though was that some of my Christian friends joined in.
I understand some of the very real frustrations with our leaders, whether they be Kathleen Wynn in Ontario, Justin Trudeau in Ottawa or Donald Trump in Washington, however what is to be expected of us in our responses to them, even if they are causing much angst? Please don’t think I’m advocating a ‘use me as a door mat’ passivity or even silence, nor am I suggesting to vote or not vote for any of the political personalities out there. For that matter I’m Canadian so couldn’t vote for Trump even if I wanted to; however, I do think that there is a higher response expected of the Christian community that must be embraced first before anything else is said or acted upon.
When the church was first ‘getting its legs’ the emperor was Nero who tortured and killed his enemies which included Christians. Many of those killed were covered with the skins of beasts in order to be torn to pieces by dogs, or were nailed to crosses, or were covered in oil and then fixed on spikes, while alive, ultimately being lit as torches to serve as nightly illumination for his garden parties. It is also believed that Nero was the one responsible for the deaths of both Peter and Paul. And this reign of terror wasn’t his only ‘problem’. Tension among Roman leaders ultimately became so great that the Praetorian Guard transferred their loyalty from Nero to Galba, leading the Senate to declare Nero a public enemy. Nero was forced to flee Rome, and he later took his own life.
This guy was one messed up dude, and yet, the apostle Peter specifically calls the people of Christ to show submission to the emperor. “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” – 1 Peter 2:13-14.
The apostle Paul called on the churches to support, through prayer and by showing thanksgiving, “kings” and “all who are in high positions” “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-2.
And keep in mind that both these Apostles said these things while under the reign of Nero. The point is that Christians, above all people, should support through prayer and through showing respect, President Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Premier Kathleen Wynn as well as all of our elected officials even if you are the polar opposite politically. After all, unlike those who see politics as the ultimate authority, we recognize that our political systems are temporal. We don’t then need to be provoked into the kind of outrage that passes for much of contemporary political discourse.
Finally, the apostle Paul said, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” – Romans 13:1 . If that is the case, unlike those who see history as impersonal or unpredictable, we are able to see behind everything a God who is sovereign over his universe and so then can trust him even if we can’t trust the specific person who is in power at the moment.
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Great thoughts Pastor Steve. It is so hard as a mere human to sit by and watch what is going on but I need to remember what those two giants of the Bible said and as a Christian, our God rules supreme and He knows what he is doing. My intellect is nothing compared to the omniscience of God. We need to spend more time reaching the lost than trying to ‘fix’ our leaders.
I may detest the personal lifestyle of a premier, or be offended by the business operations of a president, but you are right, I should be praying that God would lead and guide. If the the premier or president does not lead as God would have them to, then we need to pray that God would open the door for removal of that leader and then take part in the election process (obviously, as you say as Canadians, we can’t vote in the USA but prayer crosses borders).
Though I have many political disagreements with leaders, and though it is hard for me to assent, I agree this is the right thing to do. It’s a hard lesson to obey. I would however argue with the use of the word “support”. For many people (if not most), this means not just respecting his position but agreement and cooperation with all of his ideas and policies. The apostles and first Christians will have neither agreed with nor cooperated with all of the violent policies of Nero, for to do so would be to violate God’s law. There is room for disagreement, however, there still must be respect at all times.
Well stated…and a good reminder to keep those who are in government in our prayers. It is God who places the kings and kingdoms in place for their appointed length of time for His perfect timing for His glory.
I’m sorry, but this argument is incomplete. If this is about what Christians must do, then where is Jesus? Where is the Jesus of the Sermon of the Mount that instructed his believers to creatively and nonviolently push back against the evils in their world? Where is the Jesus who spoke of being anointed (political and prophetic language) to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor? Where is the Jesus of Passion who was willing to defy the powers of government unto death to show that they could not stop the Kingdom of God from invading the world with hope, shalom, and healing for all? Is this not the namesake of our faith and the one we are to imitate? We support no other, no parody, and no ruler that behaves contrary to the ways of Jesus.
Brian Zahnd said it well when he said we must interpret passages like these through the Jesus of the Gospels, not the other way around. These verses aren’t saying to support, they’re saying to stay out of violent rebellions. See it here: https://brianzahnd.com/2017/03/sermon-mount-caesars-sword/
And yes, by all means, let us pray for those in power. But don’t stop there. Let us, as Christians, seek to follow Jesus in loving our neighbours and enemies. Kings of the Old Testament had prophets to speak truth to power. May we as Christians also find our voice in speaking truth to power, even when it’s costly.
Thanks for your input Clayton. You have shared some great thoughts here. To clarify, my argument is intentionally incomplete in that I was not attempting to suggest next steps or tangible actions. Rather I was only interested in giving us a starting point to engage conversation. As I said in the post… “Please don’t think I’m advocating a ‘use me as a door mat’ passivity or even silence, nor am I suggesting to vote or not vote for any of the political personalities out there. For that matter I’m Canadian so couldn’t vote for Trump even if I wanted to; however, I do think that there is a ‘higher response’ expected of the Christian community that must be embraced ‘first’ before anything else is said or acted upon.” The idea of ‘support’ I’m referring to isn’t speaking about supporting politically or ideologically but rather in the sense of a supporting (holding up) in prayer. In the end I am in agreement with you that we don’t stop there… but I do believe that we must begin there.