Here I go again. It was 6:45 last night and I “just had” to check online to see who was leading the pack in the second caucus of the 2016 race. There’s nothing wrong with having an interest in politics or even entering the political ring. The problem for me though is that sometimes it just gets too tempting. I want to raise the black flag and dive into the fight with such intensity that I forget my focus on the real and eternal answers.
While I tend to lean toward a more conservative Republican bent, the fact of the matter is that neither major political party has it all right. They both have some huge things going for them but neither one really possess a corner on the market of truth. A big issue for me is the sanctity of life which sits well with the Republican stand in their anti-abortion platform. But on the other end, the Democratic Party tends to defend the rights of the little guy and the poor which is something that the Bible also speaks about. So to claim allegiance with just one party over another is to ignore issues that are Biblical and endorsed by the other side.
The sad reality is that neither party platform alone is the ultimate answer for society. Yes, we need government and laws to avoid chaos which the Bible clearly teaches in Romans 13:1-7. But the best set of rules and regulations in the world can never change a man’s heart. I remember visiting with some missionary friends in Australia a number of years ago and the latest news that day was a guy who went on a rampage with a butcher knife. Now here’s the point. Australians believe in huge gun control laws and you basically can’t own a fire arm unless you live on a mammoth sized ranch in the outback. But yet if someone wants to kill another human being, they’re going to find a way to do it. Their Anti-gun policy did nothing to deter a murderous heart. Here we see why Jesus said virtually nothing about political philosophy or the Roman Government. There were a lot of really bad things going on in his day, but Jesus came to change the heart and elevate it to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. When a heart is transformed it will naturally do what is good for its neighbor whether there is a law in place or not.
Maybe indeed the best domestic and foreign policy, for any nation, is one of prayer and helping others see and embrace Jesus and the eternal Kingdom of God. Yes, there is a place for government and some are called to such. However the real issue is one of a changed heart and only Jesus can accomplish that.
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