Just Think About It

Do your views on politics (ethics meets public policy) require coercion, or do they follow the Golden Rule (don’t aggress on others)?

Do we, as Christians in America, support public policies that are incongruent with a biblical worldview? And if so, how would we know?

We say we follow Jesus as the early church did or are “Apostolic,” yet how often do we evaluate this against what Jesus said or read about in the New Testament? 

How should a biblical worldview inform our approach to Criminal Justice, Education, Immigration, Prohibition, Taxes, and more from a public policy standpoint? We are all capable of thinking critically about these subjects even if we are not an expert in a specific area, but are we thinking biblically about them? Are there consequences and contradictions that we may be unaware of? If so, how do we discover them unless we discuss them?

Or, is it possible, as believers with a biblical worldview, that we have not fully considered our approach to these subjects in light of how Jesus handled the relevant situations of His day?

Should we not at least consider the possibility that our approach is influenced more by the world’s norms and ethics than Jesus?

Is it possible that what Jesus said then, could still have a powerful impact upon today’s politics: in precisely the place where ethics meets public policy?

I think so. We must, as professing followers of Jesus, keep in mind that all laws, regulations, and ordinances are enforced by legalized use of force.

Consider what Jesus said to believers who were in a country occupied by a foreign superpower:

"Observe those who bring about harmonious relationships between opposing people, they assuredly are fortuned with the 'good life,' for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God." 

The good life. You know, the kind of blessed life everybody desires to have. 

Jesus says it is for the peacemakers. 

Not the Machiavellian power colluders who are playing all the right angles, scheming for all the advantages, and securing whatever they can for themselves.  No, not them. Not the moral legalists either, who are so diligent to keep themselves untarnished by the messiness of life.  No, not them.

Not the isolationist, who retreats and stays far away from the conflict.Nor the armed revolutionaries, so confident in their just cause.

No, to Jesus, the good life, the blessed life, belongs to those who step into the messiness of life and attempt to bring about some harmony from the conflict. 

Those folks… the risk takers… they’re living the ‘good life.’

Will they be successful in their attempts for peace? Perhaps.

That doesn’t diminish their flourishing because the flourishing is in the doing; not necessarily in the successful outcome. 

Those in conflict may have reasons to want to keep the conflict alive.  Consider the foreign military officer, the Roman commander, and the local revolutionary fighter, the Jewish Zealot.  One or both of them may have seemingly rational reasons for not wanting peace.   

Nevertheless, a peacemaker will try to bring these two opposing sides together in some kind of harmonious relationship.  This is no trivial matter. 

And even if those two directly involved are truly appreciative of the peacemaker; many others within the wider sphere of political influence may not be so pleased.

Okay, so what’s the point?

Everyone has reasons to justify their strong positions of opposition against another.  Roman commander vs Jewish Zealot; Democrat vs. Republican.  Rights to ancestral lands. Appropriateness of education curriculum. And the list could go on and on and always will.  Why?

Because divisiveness is easy.

“Staying out of it” is easy.

Apathy is easy.

But peacemaking is not.

It wasn’t then. It isn’t now. 

But it does lead to the Good Life.   

And don’t we believers want as much of the Good Life as we can get? 

I think so; although, that probably means we need to reconsider how our biblical worldview and ethos shapes our approach to relevant and often contentious subjects of today but also how to engage those entrenched in political opposition. Which at times includes ourselves. 

Just think about it.

We will discuss these topics and more here at JustAThinker.com. I am your host, Bryan Bootka - #JustAThinker