Gospel Prism

Well, the votes are in and it sure looks like the Republicans have lost very big. It is no wonder to me personally. Again, I think there is a place for Christians in the public square, but the syncretistic perspective of politics and the Gospel often does violence to the latter and is sometimes bad politics or good politics, depending on the outcome. For example, I have no idea why Christian personalities on the radio are urging on the Iraq war.

I was against the war from the outset simply because the logic seemed faulty. President Bush was arguing that Saddam Hussein was close to developing nuclear weapons. The UN inspectors were not given time to finish their inspections. It seemed, however, that this made no difference as Mr. Bush, and in particular Mr. Cheney and Rumsfeld were eager to go into Iraq. The problem was that it seemed North Korea was much closer to developing nuclear weapons, even in 2003, than Iraq. Why was North Korea given a different standard than the Iraqi’s? Because fighting in NK would not be politically viable. It would devastate the region and kill many US soldiers in the process. However, Iraq was handleable. The bottom line then is that for political expediency, the US went into Iraq and now it seems that the Bush Administration has finally had to pay the piper.

OK, so now this seems like a political rant. But my point is that the Evangelical political pundits often defended this war as a way of overtaking radical Islam and spreading democracy. Who says that democracy is exactly what needs to be in every country? If the country is majority Shiite Muslim, killing Christians (say Iran), how can a democracy help? Doesn’t democracy mean majority rule? If they vote into law, fundamentalist Muslim law, doesn’t that mean that all other groups can easily be disposed of on the basis of the majority’s will? I am not saying that every nation should be ruled by dictators. However, I am saying that trying to spread democracy around the world is not what the Gospel preaches. Islam will not be defeated by democracy. Fundamentalist Islam will be defeated by Christ alone since this struggle is not against flesh and blood (Eph 6). I’m sorry to all of the Evangelical politicists but to take the position that President Bush’s policies internationally is the Lord’s will, is quite unnerving.

The world is so full of itself, and that includes every sinner. We all want to believe we are in control of everything and we are the determinant factors of life. But as I read the 1, 2 Kings again, I read how Manasseh reigned for 55 years as a virtual tyrant and God-Hater. And yet he reigned longer than most kings of Israel. God allowed this wretched man to reign, a man who scarified his son to some idol. God is never to be controlled by people and sometimes evil people are allowed to reign, maybe to show how gracious God is when people realize what rebellion against Him truly looks like. Manasseh was Hezekiah’s son and Josiah’s grandfather. Amazing how evil springs up and how God’s grace through saints can shine through again.

James Dobson, in his radio address before the election at the Baptist Church, said something like this is THE most critical time in American history. Maybe this is true. But maybe this is true because the Lord wants HIs Church to see that the Gospel of grace, not politics, will reign in sin, transform lives, turn people away from abortion, stop gay marriage. Politics promote rules and laws. It can prevent gay people from getting married and it can stop stem-cell research and it can halt abortions. But the heart remains the same so even though openly things change, all of the activity will merely go underground. However, the Gospel affects the heart. It stirs people to see that there is something better and that marriage between a man and a woman is something desired. Before an abortion takes place, people are truly thinking about the implications of taking a life. I believe the Gospel is the power of God (Romans 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18). It has the power to change lives and societies. But will we take God at His Word that this is true? Maybe this election cycle will make Christians in the public square to truly rethink their views.

Finally, Darrell Bock wrote a book review of Jimmy Carter’s book called, Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis. I didn’t read the book but I really like Darrel Bock’s assessment of it. A swing either to focus ONLY on Jesus’ teachings or ONLY on Paul’s teachings is to do an injustice to both. Both interpret each other. And D. Bock is right when he says:

At a theological level, Carter is quick to favor the treatment of Jesus over Paul (something that is becoming more common all the time in treatments of the Bible, and I say this as one who has seen the teaching of Jesus deemphasized in the evangelical church in places. The pendulum is now swinging the other way as readers play one portion of Scripture over another).

We need Jesus and Paul, it really is not an EITHER OR but a BOTH AND. So he concludes about Jimmy Carter’s book:

Such lessons on the exercise of power among and by Christians might be a lesson to all sides in this debate. The book is valuable in the most part for its tone and the scope of what it covers. It does lead to reflection about what Christian values apply to a wide array of areas. Its treatment of the Right is one-sided, but it does point out a tone that is not sensitive enough to the pluralistic structure of our government and society. You may not always agree with Carter at numerous points, as I do not, but one can respect the fact he presents his rationale clearly and seeks to engage us on the substantive points of the issues in question with a first hand experience of them most of us sorely lack.

We have things to learn from those who espouse what many of us would call a ‘liberal theology.’ BUT there is a lack of power when the glory of Gospel is dumped for the culture, whether that is on the right or on the left. The Gospel stands above all things.

Finally, I like this last idea that DBock gives about the Iraq War, similar to what I wrote. He writes:

I think I would agree with Carter on Iraq, as Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf’s 1993 autobiography complains loudly and often about Dick Cheney’s meddlesomeness in the first Iraq war. We have no business trying to impose democracy on a country divided along religious rather than liberal-conservative lines.

Let’s not place our hope in George Bush or Dick Cheney (please, let us not). Losing an election does not mean the Lord is now powerless. Perhaps, now the country is ready to listen to the Gospel even more because the Christian political movement will no longer place their hope in Egypt (oops, I mean the ‘Republican Party’ - if you don’t understand, see Hosea and the many prophets in the OT).