America has a new god, government. Just the other day I was driving down the highway on my way to work and I saw a sticker on the back of a vehicle that said, “Obama, Save our nation!” I thought to myself how sad it was that people are turning to government officials for “salvation.” The government has no special powers. It has no special knowledge, wisdom, insight, or ability to forgive sin and make things right. The reason being, the government is made up of people just like you and I.
If in fact we have failed as individuals we are likely to fail as a group. Sin does not disappear because we have decided to make decisions on a larger scale. Yet, somehow we have opted to turn to government for the answers to our economy, education, healthcare, marriages, childcare, and even righteousness.
I have heard Christians say that they cast there vote for certain people because they have plans to feed the poor and care for the homeless. I heard one pastor say that he supported Barack Obama over John McCain because although one had a pro-life stance, he (McCain) did not want to feed those children once they were born. I suppose murder is by far a better option than neglect. This raises the question, Who is responsible for the poor and downtrodden?
When I look in the Bible I do not see God charging believers to elect official that will care for the orphan, the poor, or the widow. I don’t see God charging government officials to reach out to these groups either. What I do see is that God has charged his people, Christians, to do this very important work. This is not to say that the government can not play a role in this work. It is to say that the Church can not pass its responsibility to care for the less fortunate off to a government that does not share our values or our divine calling.
With many churches spending their resources on brick and mortar instead of the needy people of the community, it is no wonder people have turned their hope toward the government. It is time that we take our position back as the primary advancers of the human condition. The Christian church has a long history of caring for the sick, providing educational opportunities, visiting the incarcerated, establishing orphanages, and much, much more. Christ is our savior, not government. We are His Body. We are the vehicle through which he moves to meet the needs of hurting people.
If in fact we have failed as individuals we are likely to fail as a group. Sin does not disappear because we have decided to make decisions on a larger scale. Yet, somehow we have opted to turn to government for the answers to our economy, education, healthcare, marriages, childcare, and even righteousness.
I have heard Christians say that they cast there vote for certain people because they have plans to feed the poor and care for the homeless. I heard one pastor say that he supported Barack Obama over John McCain because although one had a pro-life stance, he (McCain) did not want to feed those children once they were born. I suppose murder is by far a better option than neglect. This raises the question, Who is responsible for the poor and downtrodden?
When I look in the Bible I do not see God charging believers to elect official that will care for the orphan, the poor, or the widow. I don’t see God charging government officials to reach out to these groups either. What I do see is that God has charged his people, Christians, to do this very important work. This is not to say that the government can not play a role in this work. It is to say that the Church can not pass its responsibility to care for the less fortunate off to a government that does not share our values or our divine calling.
With many churches spending their resources on brick and mortar instead of the needy people of the community, it is no wonder people have turned their hope toward the government. It is time that we take our position back as the primary advancers of the human condition. The Christian church has a long history of caring for the sick, providing educational opportunities, visiting the incarcerated, establishing orphanages, and much, much more. Christ is our savior, not government. We are His Body. We are the vehicle through which he moves to meet the needs of hurting people.
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