The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Submitted by MerelyChristian on Thu, 2007-08-23 09:06.
Politics
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:34, KJV)
Yes, I know that's what the Bible says, but surely it doesn't mean I should apply that to everything! After all, it also says
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?" (Luke 14:28, KJV)
Or, does the passage from the sermon on the mount only apply to evil things?
This morning's missive to my wife, from a Republican Party leader at the county level, warns about SPP (Security & Prosperity Partnership) and connects it to an attempt to merge Canada, the U.S., and Mexico into a North American Union. The hyperbole in the email--"This is the greatest threat..."--is fairly typical of what this individual, and many others, routinely use. Just what I need, another "greatest threat" to add to the list of hundreds that I already have.
It's not that it doesn't matter, and it's not that I don't care, but I am not going to get excited about the "greatest threat" du jour. Nor am I burying my head in the sand. I simply am not interested in fear mongering--as a buyer or as a seller.
The sky is not falling. Even if it were, it still wouldn't matter, because God is sovereign.
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25, KJV)
I know I've mentioned this before, but I see neither mandate, nor prescription, nor encouragement for believers to become political activists. To pray for our leaders? Certainly!
Well, that's my opinion. What's yours?
Trackback URL for this post:
http://tuscanycircle.net/trackback/832
» MerelyChristian's blog | add new comment | comment rss | Printer-friendly version | 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| | | | | | | | | The battle is, indeed, on. But are we fighting the right war?
Submitted by Wayne on Wed, 2007-12-19 16:44.
(Submitted by MerelyChristian)
I truly appreciate Wayne's directness, and the fact that he leaves no doubt as to his opinion.
What is the battle we are fighting? Obviously, it's not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places. Does that include high, or even low, political places? Or is it more peronal, such as personal holiness or the contest for souls? (My pastor has recently reminded us several times that, at some point, 'lifestyle evangelism' must give way to 'confrontational evangelism'.)
With limited time and energy, not to mention financial resources or connections, I want to put my effort into helping individuals, one-on-one. Perhaps that's because my motivational gift is teaching. I don't think it is inconsistent with scripture to say that it 'takes all kinds', thought I don't think that 'it takes a village' is easily found in the canon.
So, maybe what I'm trying to say is "Pursue whatever God has laid on your heart to do. But please don't expect everyone else to be as enthusiastic about it as you are. Their burden may be quite different."
The battle is on, with or without you
The topic of Christians and politics has been raised before and an opposing view offered. (Segmenting one's life such that "politics"--an artificial segregation at best--can be ignored will inevitably lead to even greater sin.)
As for "greatest threat", there's no need to call it a hyperbole. In that author's mind, it may very well be true. After all, it's his opinion, just as it's MC's opinion that it's not the greatest. Such cannot be objective.
In fact, the sky is falling--metaphorically, of course. This world belongs to the prince of lies, HaSatan. If these are the last days of this age, then our decline is foretold. The vast majority of the world, this nation, and even God's chosen people have abandoned their Lord and are actively worshiping evil. I don't think it's a stretch to note this fact, and insofar as the world is serving evil, it's our duty to battle this evil, the powers and principalities of this world. We already know the eventual outcome of this war: we win. And of course, it's not by our power we fight and win but by the Lord's, but this does not alleviate our duty to be used by Him in battle. If a believer wishes to sit out the battle, free will allows him, but what heavenly reward is there for spiritual cowardice, lethargy, and disobedience?