Polichristians

I now officially have at least three people reading this blog, so I can move on.

Yay!

I have a question that I have asked people off and on before, because I have an opinion about it, and it's always good to check your opinions out to make sure they aren't bad opinions (Yes, an opinion CAN be bad. That's another post though.)

How deeply should a Christian be involved in politics / the government?

A while back I heard something on the radio which seriously got on my nerves. I got on the kind of rant that makes Lindsay roll her eyes and ask me if I actually want a heart attack at 29. A woman had called in to a talk show about a "great victory" local Christians had won over the school board concerning prayer in school. Apparently, the argument had been specifically over whether or not there would be a prayer before football games. The school board had finally decided that a prayer would be allowed before the game, as long as a school employee or board member was not the one praying.

So basically, they set a precedent that the school gets to decide who can pray and who can't. What's more, the school actually banned certain people from praying in certain situations.

Congratulations.

First of all, since when do we have to get someone's permission to pray? If I walked into your home and told you that I was allowing you to sit on your own couch, what would you say to me? Christians in this country have gotten too caught up in the idea of "rights." Anytime local or federal government makes a decision which appears unfavorable to the church, Christians jump up to defend our rights. A school decides that students can't have a bible study on campus. The local church rushes in to protest, or even sue the school. Federal buildings are removing plaques displaying the ten commandments, all mention of God is being removed from anything relating to the government, and some Christians are afraid that someday we won't even be allowed to worship.

So what?

Look at the apostles. How many rallies did first century Christians have in order to reform the anti-Christian attitude of the Roman government? Very few, as they were too busy spreading the gospel. My answer to people who ask, "What happens when we aren't allowed to worship anymore?" is, "Probably we will go to jail, and still be exactly where God wants us."

So, how involved should a Christian be in trying to affect and change the government? On the other hand, we should be compassionate to others, and if we feel the government is making decisions that hurt people, should we try to put an end to it? Can you even be compassionate at a federal level? Am I missing something here?

The difference between the end and the means

I am going to make a guess which may, if I pull it off well, sound educated. If you were to ask most people in this country what the point of Christianity is, they would tell you that Jesus died to forgive us our sins so that we can go to heaven. The problem with this answer is that they have mistaken the means for the end. It isn't surprising that they should do that. If they are anything like me, their mind naturally vacillates between shame and regret of the past, and fear and anxiety of the future. Along comes Jesus with a cure for both, and our natural response is, "Yay, I'm cured." Consider this: a man goes to the doctor with a broken leg. The doctor puts the leg in a cast. Why? Well, so the bone will heal. However, there is a better and even more obvious answer if we look a little further. The doctor's goal is not to simply heal the break. The doctor's goal is that the patient should walk again. Healing the break is the means to that end. The same thing goes for the cure Jesus offers us. It isn't the goal. He is curing us of our past and future so that we can live with Him in the present. C.S. Lewis (probably my favorite author of all time until I read an author I like more) said something in The Screwtape Letters that I really like.

"The humans live in time but (God) destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity... in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them."

Jesus cures us of our sins for a reason - so that, instead of guilt, we have the courage and boldness to walk with Him. Jesus promises to provide for us and take care of our future for a reason - so that we can walk with him in the present without fear. All this leaves for us is to trust Him and walk.

Das Vat Vee Learn in Der Schule, Ya Ya!

I decided I would start a second blog to discuss serious thinkings which I had thunk. Honestly, I had meant to start a journal, but didn't want to buy a notebook. I find that I think a lot when I'm driving, and decided tonight that I didn't want to keep forgetting what I was thinking about. This blog is the solution to that problem. You are also welcome to read it if you want. Thoughts are always better when they are flavored by the comments and corrections of older and / or wiser minds.