MAY I HAVE A WORD? JAVAN ROWE
Christian Response to Political “Enemies” Obama’s popularity has declined since he was first elected, which often happens after a president has settled into office. I hear a lot of verbal negativity directed toward him, especially from Christians. Does disagreement justify disparagement? What should our attitude be toward elected officials who hold ideas that we oppose on key issues? New Testament writers addressed this subject of how to respond to authority. It is important to note that they wrote while living under a brutal government that despised Christians. Our current government seems heavenly compared to the persecution these believers faced under Rome. But even under adverse conditions, the apostles gave provocative, countercultural advice. Peter wrote, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king…or to governors” (1 Pet. 2:13-14). This is a clear command to humble ourselves before our ruling government. In fact, instruction abounds in the Bible on the subject of humble submission, whether it’s spouse to spouse, children to parents, or people to God. Our citizen-to-government relationship is no different; we must answer to those in power. The reason we practice humility is because “…there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Rom. 13:1). Because God is the one who grants authority, “…whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinances of God” (Rom. 13:2).
In past generations the president was backed by the people, whether they voted for him or not.Today it seems that divisions between parties allow little to no cooperation. Animosity is rampant. Part of humility, however, involves offering assistance to the “enemy” for the betterment of our country. Citizens are to be coworkers with the government. Christians should lead the way, humbling ourselves in obedience and cooperation as Scripture commands. But what is subjection? Paul writes that we are “…to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (Tit. 3:1-2). Being “ready for every good deed” means going out of our way to offer assistance, regardless of one’s politics. Our help includes attitudes, not merely actions, which means moving past extreme negativity.We are to “malign no one,” refraining from needless slander. We’d do well to study young David’s attitude toward King Saul as a model for relating to leaders, even undeniably unreasonable ones! We are also called to be “peaceable” and “gentle,” two of the nine signs that we possess God’s Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). The world can be positively impacted for Christ through its daily interactions with peaceful, gentle believers.Yes, there are instances when we must confront elected officials with disagreements or reprimands, but we must do so with kindness and understanding. There is no room for pride. It comes down to consideration. How often have we seen stand-up jokes directed toward the president? More personally, have we laughed at those jokes? If we are honest, we will admit that the Bible never permits us to mock authority figures. Just the opposite, Scripture reminds us that “rulers are servants of God” (Rom. 13:6). He has placed them in power, so we obey. But what do we do when a leader PRISM 2 0 1 0
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stands for something we oppose? A major issue determining the votes of many evangelicals is abortion. I am personally opposed to any form of abortion. Because of this stance, I cannot vote for a prochoice candidate when a pro-life option is available. However, now that a prochoice candidate has been elected I do not give up my opposition to abortion. Nor do I throw up my hands in retreat and ignore my call to cooperation. For an example of maintaining one’s beliefs while cooperating with the government, let’s look at the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel and his friends grew to great status in the Babylonian Empire. Their prominence indicates a bit of cooperation. At the same time, they clung to the convictions of their faith. True, the king did throw Daniel to the lions and attempted to barbecue Daniel’s friends, but they never wavered in their beliefs or their respect for authority.They continued to serve the king, even after these terrible punishments. We, too, can strike that balance between taking a stand and working with the government. We can hold to our biblical beliefs and still remain willing to assist opposing political parties. Our Bible-based beliefs should dictate how we vote, but our duty to love our neighbor and honor our leaders is not limited to certain issues. Most of the New Testament teachings instruct us in relating to others. No matter who is in power over us, the Bible calls us to humble ourselves in obedience and cooperation. Through this proper Christian attitude, the light of Christ can shine, and God may continue blessing our country. N Javan Rowe is a freelance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. He is involved in the music, youth, writing, and drama ministries at his church. His writing ministry can be found at EyesontheKingdom.com.