Comments on my Previous Post

My dear friend Silas responded to my last post with these comments, and then I responded to his response:

Stef-

I share your cynicism and disillusionment, but I think your basic premise is flawed. You're saying, in effect, "the government is broken in ways a, b, c, so let's fix the government (you said "revolutionize the candidate-picking process) in order to fix my cynicism."

I would go further. All governments are flawed. No government really cares (although individuals within it may care) about the fates, lives, happiness and welfare of the people in it, still less about their opinions, except as those things impinge upon their ability to gain or retain their privileged positions of power. The concept of the public servant is not dead, because in fact it never really lived, except in a couple of isolated cases (but never as the real, properly practiced ethic of an entire system). If you can find me an example to the contrary, I'll reconsider this position.

The solution here is not to give anything back to the people, nor to change the system. The immutable fact evident from history about governments is that they always turn on those of faith, one way or another.

A man (or even you) cannot serve two masters. You can try to fix the government from within, but to do that you have to become part of it, and we know that power corrupts.

My view: yes, the Christian should be cynical about our system or any other system. Systems are run by men, and the hearts of men, we are told, are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Instead (and this is a crucial point for me, surrounded by the unheeded death screams of 300,000,000 confused and dying souls), shouldn't we focus our limited efforts on fixing the world in ways that work? In the ONLY way that really works? Maybe set our mind on things above?
It is, in my view, a serious flaw in American Christianity as manifested today, that Americans tend to place a lot of faith in the corrupt and inevitably decaying government, in the airy philosophical will-o'-the-wisps called democracy and freedom. That faith, placed in those things, will inevitably be disappointed (though they are, perhaps, good things, they cannot be relied upon). Faith placed in the One who never fails, never changes, and cares about each of us deeply and personally will never be disappointed, but will sustain us though leaders should come and go, though nations should rise and fall, though systems should be erected and overturned.

Can we fight for more democracy(whatever that means), better representation, etc? Maybe. I'm not saying "don't vote, don't participate, etc." I am saying that we must keep our eyes fixed and our hope resting on something other than any institution build by humanity, no matter how "democratic" or "free" or "fair" or how much power it gives to "the people" (and who are they, anyway?). The will fail. Faith will endure.



Silas, excellent points. Absolutely, our faith must rest on the Lord, and our eyes must not be fixed on things of the earth, but on Him. And, I agree that all human institutions will fail at some points, since all human institutions are by humans, who are imperfect. However, I am not advocating making government, or even the desire to change government, the point and focus of my life, or any life. Absolutely Christ is the center, and, as you say, to change government you have to become part of it, and power corrupts. Yes, we have seen this time and again. I do disagree with the statement that the 'concept of the public servant is dead, in fact it never really lived.' I would site John Adams as one example. I think that he genuinely had the good of his country in mind. He had to sacrifice a lot in the service of securing America's independence. But, rereading your comment, perhaps you meant that there are no examples of complete systems devoted to the idea of public service. I'll agree with you there; nothing comes to mind for me either.
I guess the point that I was trying to make was this: as someone who treasures Christ, and wants others to see His beauty and see Him for Who He is, I get distressed when I see the state of the world. I think that it is the responsibility of anyone who professes to be a Christian to be deeply concerned about the pain and injustices we see in the world, and to make efforts to help. I do absolutely agree that ultimately, it is the issue of the soul that takes precedence, and everything else pales in comparison. However, I think it was Jesus Who told the parable about the man walking alongside the road who, upon seeing a beggar, said to him, "Peace be with you. May you be well-fed and warm." or something to that effect. But he didn't do anything to help, other than bless him with words. I take umbrage with Christians today who, in my view, politicize faith to such an extent that it no longer is about the Gospel and is everything about pushing yet another agenda. It is reminiscent of what we read about in the New Testament, where everyone expected Jesus to come back and usher in a new government and peaceful times, but what He was really there for was to save man from eternal death and take their place; to do for them what they couldn't do for themselves, and to reconcile them to God. If Christ lives through us, should we not do for those who can't do for themselves?

I do think though that the concepts of democracy and freedom are more concrete than you asserted. We have been blessed to live in a country where I can stand on the street corner and read from the Bible, and aside from some heckling, nothing else really happens to me. I have the freedoms to do things that women in other countries only dream of. Now, nothing other than Christ should be the center and focus of one's life; however, I don't think that gives me license to throw up my hands and say, "well, it's corrupt and always been corrupt, so whatevs." The Bible says that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." Prov. 21:1 Ultimately, God is in control of all this mess. But He's put me here, in this time, for whatever reason, and, although living Christ to the world is my primary purpose, cannot serving and loving people, perhaps by reformation of corrupt systems, be a secondary?
'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might'. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Jesus comes first, no question. But He loves all of us with love incomprehensible, and to love Him is to love what He loves as well. If I am loving Him with all my heart, all my soul, and all my might (something I fail at miserably, moment by moment) should I not love and do what I can for people, whom He loves so much?