My Longkang

I read this on adino’s blog. He brought up the issue of how Christians should submit to authority. Then my friend Josh wrote a comment. I found it gave me food for thought. I would like to share it with you all.

Reproduced with permission from author of original comment.

You have brought up an interesting issue: What is the response of authentic Christians to our nations’ woes.

4 points i would like to share:
(i am sharing off the cuff, so dont sue me if I am off-the tangent)

1. Allignment to authority
Christians are to submit to all authorities over them because our theology is that all authorities are placed by God.

Now, what if the authority is evil? Still submit because it is placed by God.

But what if the submission requires us to obey what is wrong in God’s sight?

Then we need to submit but not obey. You see a difference? Read Daniel’s response to the issue of worshiping the King then.

For me, this is a non-issue in relation to principle issue of our response as authentic Christians.

You see, we would not want a state of anarchy. We want the rule of law to be enforced. We are just concerned that we dont have the laws enforced!

That isnt rebellion, that isnt insubmission. We just want the government to do what it is authorized to do.

So, i dismiss this as a relevant issue.

2. Complains vs prayer

I do agree that we complain much more than we pray for the good of the nation.

Then again, I believe in a forum like this (blogosphere) - we should complain. We should highlight the injustice, discrimination and evil. We do so as Christians who love to see justice, equality and good.
Why? Not just because God is like that, but because we authentic Christians must love the world we live in if we are to be salt or light.

We must love/care/be concerned about the state of the evil, injustice manipulation, or corruption in our world. Because God loves this world.

Bringing it Down to earth - if we are to love our fellow man fellow citizens fellow neighbours - we must be concerned about the sphere that affects their rights (our rights).

So for me - complains is important in this arena. But it must be in order that we stir one another to do good!

There is a collary to this.

There is a view among “declaration” Christians that we should say less of the negative and more of the positive because our tongue can bring death or life.

I have read this teaching and I do believe in it to a certain extent. Since as people of faith, we should declare to being what God intends. It is a form of prayer.

But to not speak of the injustice, or evil is to be an hypocrite and at best a camel head hiding under the sand.

There is a balance to all things. And this is one of them.

3. Complains vs participation
I believe the problem with most Christians is that we complain but dont participate in the process of change.

Some of us, would rather hide in our prayer rooms and pray for change - than to be the agent/media of change.

We just want to pray and not participate in politics. We pray for activists but we dont become activists.

Jesus by the way was an Activist.

Again, i see no point in pointing out the problem of complain.

4. Blame who
Finally, who is to blame for the state of our nation.
As pointed out Pastor, (which I have heard countless times) it is the fault of the church.

And so I do agree. But for me it is not the CHURCH organisation alone. But Christians who are not engaged in change- because we view it as dirty polictics, or of this world. We draw the line between secular and sacred not seeing that this world (this nation) belongs to God and needs to be redeemed (won back).

And so, who is to blame? We are selves. We need to participate! We need to blog more! We need to be involved more.

We are not just soldiers on our knees but also soldiers on our feet!

posted on August 20th, 2007 at 6:27