Dear Friends,
I had the opportunity yesterday in some of our congregations to share some reflections and a challenge for Christians in the face of worldwide political movements and particularly at this time, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. Here is a short summary….
When there is a moment of political intrigue or controversy somewhere in the world, there is a moment for Christians to stand up and show the world that Jesus makes a difference to the way we think and act. But it is also a moment when that is difficult. Generally, the tide of people and opinion drive us to do some things that come far more easily. We are often tempted to…
- Join the yelling crowd – join in with the voices for or against, cheering or jeering, making noise. It is easy to be swept up in a tide of people who are keen to make their opinion known and when that happens we miss the chance to think and act in a way that is distinctive and glorifying to God.
- Post memes – we can also be tempted to join the cynical and satirical crowd who will not leave their house to join a protest but attempt to make their point known by using social media to flood the world with their preferred politics, often mocking or belittling the contrary opinion.
- Do Nothing – you can ignore the whole thing and hope it will go away.
I don’t believe any of those options are right for the Christian. Rather, there are four things we should do:
- Pray – I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) If you have been busy cheering, jeering, posting or just doing nothing, you have missed the most powerful and important thing you should have been doing – praying! This is the most important thing any Christian should be doing in the face of worldwide political movements and changes.
- Remember who appoints kings – Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (Romans 13:1) God is in charge of all who rule. He establishes them and he doesn’t make mistakes. That sounds particularly odd to students of history, but remember that God does not always appoint kings and rulers to do good. Sometimes he appoints them for judgement. So point 3…
- Remember why God appoints kings – Most rulers are appointed to bring order and justice to the world and they do so in (sometimes unknown) submission to the Lord. But on a few occasions we see that God appoints Kings to bring judgement – even kings who do not acknowledge him (see especially v.4 below). We cannot know what God has in store for the people of America but we can know that God is not one-dimensional in the way he operates – his wisdom is unsearchable!
This is what the Lord says to his anointed,
to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their armour,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you
and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.
3 I will give you hidden treasures,
riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honour,
though you do not acknowledge me. (Isaiah 45:1-4)
4. Remember who is really King! – I always wonder about Christian people who get worked up about politics and politicians. Have they forgotten about who really matters? Have they placed too much faith in human people when the only one really worth trusting in is God himself? It is utterly ridiculous to think that anyone but the Lord Jesus can really give you all you want and need. Only he is truly King and truly in charge. Even when your “man” gets elected, he or she is still under the authority and power of God and any good they bring about only happens under his control. The Lord Jesus is always among us as King as Revelation 1 explains:
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:12-16)
These are the things Christians ought to be doing when faced with moments of political intrigue, excitement or disappointment. Of all of them I urge you most of all to pray. Here are some suggested prayers:
Prayer for all in authority
Almighty God, ruler of the nations of the earth, give wisdom to Elizabeth the Queen of Australia, to the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and the Premier of this state Mike Baird, to the members of Parliament and to all who hold office in this land. Grant that their decisions may be based on wise counsel, so that peace and welfare, truth and justice may prevail among us, and make us a blessing to other nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For good government
Gracious Lord, grant to our governments and all who serve in public life wisdom and skill, imagination and energy. Protect them from corruption and the temptation to serve themselves. Help us all to commit ourselves to the common good, that our land may be a secure home for all its peoples; through Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace. Amen.
For our nation
God of the nations,
we pray for Australia.
Inspire and direct our leaders
to seek first your kingdom
and your righteousness,
that we may live peaceful and quiet lives
in all godliness and holiness.
Bring many Australians
to a knowledge of the truth about Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for us all. Amen.
And finally, here is a short video from one of my favourite musicians Colin Buchanan who has an uncanny knack of summarising deep theological thought into simple lyrics that even children can digest.