Why Should We Bother?

Sometimes I get torn. Babies die by the thousands each day. Homosexual marriage legalized. Legalization of drugs. All sorts of assaults on what I believe is right and against what the Bible claims as the standard of good. Sometimes I think I should just put my anger away and retreat into the Church.

Sometimes, as a Christian I get the idea that this world just doesn't want to behave as a Christian should. It sounds like a simple, "duh" , statement, but isn't that what we are trying to do when we protest or attempt to change the state of the world politically? Our president is packing the Supreme Court with conservatives that claim to represent a more Biblical code. Should I care? I mean, I'm glad that there is a group of people who are in a position to align the interpretation of laws to how I read them as a Christian, but at the end of the day, the Constitution of the U.S. is just another piece of parchment with a bunch of words in fancy script. The Bible is my law. No matter how the laws of this law ebb and flow, God's laws do not change. This world is not interested in acting as if they are Children of God, part of His Church. Why are we trying to make them?

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." (Mark 12:17)

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13:1-2)

Sometimes I think about these verses when I think about politics. Christ himself appeared to not give a rat's behind about politics of the day. When tempted to make a statement about the possibility of disobeying the Roman Empire, he cleverly sidestepped the issue. His disciples and followers were convinced by current interpretation of prophecy that Christ would come to remove the Jews from the oppression of the Romans. Christ did no such thing, rather something greater, removing all his children from the oppression of sin. Paul also made statements that our respect of current government reflects our respect of God's decision about where to place us politically. He even goes so far to claim that rebellion against authority is rebellion against God.

Obviously this statement cannot be read to mean that open rebellion against an ungodly act demanded by the government is wrong. Paul himself and other apostles openly disobeyed commands to stop preaching the Gospel...often to their demise. But these men humbled themselves to the Word of God, thinking nothing of themselves by refusing to defend themselves, rather defending only the Good News of Christ. Aren't we to remain "in the world but not of it"?

"If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!" (I Corinthians 6:1-6)

Why do we struggle to create a world of wannabes redeemed folks and leave a pre-made collection of wannabe redeemed folks floundering? The Church is imperfect. The Church is flawed. But the Church is where we should be focussing our energies. Why do we expect the ungodly to champion that which God holds dear? Why are we confused when the World seems to be going down the crapper? That's where it's supposed to go. Our job is to invest in the Bride of Christ to make it attractive to those in the world whom God calls out of darkness, those who wake up one day and see the world in God's light for what it really is.

These are just some views that I think about often. Please don't think that I interpret the Word to say that we should withdraw from public service. Or that we should live at our churches and never talk to anyone else. This the opposite side of the pendulum. Moderation is certainly the key here. The world is in desperate need of the Gospel. We are commanded to take it there. But we must beware getting caught up in trying to change the world with arguments and indignation. The only one who will fix the world is Christ.