I am thankful for my country, America, because of the religious freedom that is ours, here. A book that has recently awakened me to a new thankfulness, is Os Guinness' excellent book, The Case for Civility. And The Williamsburg Charter he was involved in, is worth the read.
I tend to agree with N.T. Wright that America is a case of empire, and is most certainly a kingdom of this world. The kingdom of God in Jesus alone deserves our full allegiance. The "kingdoms" of this world are destined to fall in judgment before the kingdom of God in Jesus, to which we in Jesus belong now.
However as the salt and light in Jesus that we are, we must not withdraw, but seek to bring God's kingdom in Jesus everywhere and on everything. A good place to start is to be praying the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. And to pray as we are taught by Paul in God's word.
How do you see it?
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5 comments:
withdrawing versus not being "of the world" is a hard balance sometimes.
Yes, Halfmom, Susan. Very true.
I like an Anabaptist position, but not at all like the Amish, for the admirable traits we see in them.
We have to be in the world and active in it (some Kuyperian Calvinists model this pretty well for us, I think), but distinctively different. Not easy.
We need the community in Jesus to help us, keeping in mind the fact that we're all in this together, all of us in Jesus, and from our local missional community.
Thanks.
Of course to "seek to bring God's kingdom in Jesus everywhere and on everything" is a collective effort; we each have our role to play.
Ted:
Nice thoughts here.
I think that the number one problem that the church has faced since the time of Constantine is what to do when it comes to the powers that rule. As the church universal we certainly have not come up with a solution that is acceptable to everyone.
Allan,
Thanks.
It does seem that the church largely has fallen in line, though, with the Constantianian move. I mean in that it seems that Christians will participate in their various nation's war with a sense that somehow God is in it, I mean on their side.
Take for example the colonies versus the British during the Revolutionary War, or the North versus the South in the American Civil War. Most Christians to this day find no problem with the idea of committed Christians serving either in the Union or Confederate side. Something seems wrong in that picture, to me.
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