Saints in a Sick Society

"Can one who goes the way of the Cross sit in the seat of Pilate when it falls vacant?"

                                                                                ~ Leslie Newbigin




The above quote is actually asking an age old question which every true Christian must ask themselves.
"How far are you, as a member of the Body of Christ, willing to work with the world which oftentimes opposes you and your beliefs?"


It's a deep question, but a relevant question.

The truth of the matter is that the Church as a whole will never fully reject or accept the culture in which we live.

We cannot; for, it is impossible, regardless of where we might live in the world.

Scripture indicates that the individual Christian is ultimately a citizen of Heaven.
While this is true, it must also be acknowledged that we have dual citizenship; we may belong to Heaven but at this time, we reside on planet Earth.


There is a universal moral law which is to govern us spiritually and it effects our practice in life ethically and religiously.
At the same time, we live in the world and in its societies; societies which seem to be growing sicker by the day.
And while we are in the world, we are to obey the world's physical laws of the land; that is, until we cannot morally or consciously do so.


To top it all off, Scripture gives us no clear guidance on the matter; nor does history.


Kings David and Solomon virtually combined what we would call 'Church & State;' the government of their time was interwoven with their personal faith; the rest of society was expected to follow suit.
Yet, the Prophet Elijah vehemently opposed King Ahab, who was a descendent and successor to both David and Solomon.
And while Elijah condemned Ahab for his practices and faced the wrath of his wife Jezebel, the Prophet Obadiah was in his court, virtually running it, while he was silently and secretly sheltering other true prophets from the persecution of the crown.


Isaiah was the court prophet in Hezekiah's reign; yet, Daniel was a government bureaucrat, serving in high offices in two pagan governments.
Is there any doubt both men served God and fulfilled His will?


Church history is just as muddled.
John Calvin sought to make Geneva a Protestant Christian 'haven;' yet, in his ruling, exact laws were enacted which governed how many dishes to be used at a meal, the length of a woman's hair and executed those caught in adultery.
Others have sought the solitude of desert monasteries, remaining as hermits, or rejecting society altogether and abandoning it.

Let me ask you - who was right?
Was Martin Luther correct in opposing the Church/State alliance of the German states or was the Lutheran Church correct in supporting and identifying with the Nazi regime?




Again, there are no clear answers where moral injustice or absolute wrongs do not exist.
Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle with our own leading of God's Spirit and the common sense He gave us.


As Christians, we will and should, reject some parts of our culture/society; such as acceptable reasons for murder, rampant or legal prostitution and tyrannical or excessively oppressive governments.
But we will also accept other parts of our society, such as the infrastructure (Paul used Rome's to spread the Gospel throughout the Empire), its transportation and its institutions.
And these should be used, specifically - for the benefit of the faith.


While we will accept or reject some parts of culture, Christians will also use some aspects to our own benefit, like the arts. Beethoven and Mozart both wrote music for the Church; today, where a missionary would be executed, their music speaks of God's truth in closed lands.
Not only will we accept/reject/use various parts of culture or society; Christians will also invent our own and inject them into society to advance humanity. This has happened through soup kitchens, clothing banks and adoption services for unwed mothers.


Yet, the question remains as to how the Christian rightly fits into modern society, while retaining our faith, which seems so ancient and outdated to the modern world.
It can be difficult, especially when many in modern culture view Christians as people who are 'right-wingers,' wanting to tell everybody else how they ought to be living.


It must be remembered, Jesus sent people out; He didn't hunker down with them hoping God would come and rescue the faithful.
But to accomplish the same purpose of Christ, Christians must act and display the virtues of Christ in living flesh through our actions, not through government or authoritarian means.


In the United States, the current year is an election year.
Even now, local politicians are courting the Evangelical Christian vote; one misconception has been that the Christian is faced with the choice between political right and left. In reality, the Christian should only face one choice, that between right and wrong.

It should also be noted that evangelical involvement with politics is a recent phenomenon; yet, it isn't an unheard of action.
In centuries past, when the Church pressed into the political realm, it caused a backlash for generations to come against the Church itself.
As evidence, one must only look to Europe's empty cathedrals and know that the vacancy was caused by a Church holding a tight grip on the people through the authority of the local governments.


The Evangelical Christian involvement in politics in the United States was caused by being left out of the process or ignored in the early part of the twentieth century.
Policies and governmental directions were taken which were contrary to their values.
Yet, what is happening now within the Church is the same thing that happened to Europe; a backlash.


The truth is that the more the Church has gotten into politics and have become more and more vocal, the more negatively it is seen by the public whom we should be seeking to reach.
In reality, the Body of Christ's involvement has caused the Good News of God to be obscured in favor of temporary advancement in the world.


Friend, we are to seek to persuade; not coerce.


Still, America's Bible Belt is also her Safety Belt.


So, how are we to fit into modern society?
The same way Jesus Christ told His followers to fit into their society.
We are to listen to His words in the Sermon on the Mount, and then go among the people and live the Beatitudes.


It really is that simple.


Until next time, win one for the good guys.