It Just Clicked...

I have been struggling for a year or so with what “The Law”, in the Old Testament sense of the word, is supposed to mean for Christianity. I mean I look around and I see Christian activist groups wanting to control the morality of the American psyche by mandating that we keep the Ten Commandments posted, and that we push for a standard of morality that is mediated by those laws. Hence the outbreak of “one women+one man=marriage” bumper stickers.

Now, as a moderately intelligent Christian, I of course can’t say that I don’t think that the Ten Commandments in some small way represent what God’s best for us is. I can’t rightly say that God does not want us to live a life that honors him by taking the path that the Ten Commandments lights for us, they are after all “God’s words” and God’s words are supposed to be a “light unto our path” right?
But how does one go about being that kind of person, while not letting the kingdom of this world pollute you in a way that waters down faith? Gregory Boyd, in his book “Myth of a Christian Nation” talks about the differences that exist between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God. He makes the point that the kingdom of this world is a kingdom that works on a “power over” principle and that the Kingdom of God works on a “power under principle”.

Power over being coercion, control, intimidation etc…
Power under being humility, servant-hood, hospitality etc…

The major difference is simply that the kingdom of this world is a system that can never have as its goal the glorification of God. So no matter what you do, in the context of the political power systems of the world, is ever going to be able to be counted as something that truly brings glory to God. Which, of course brings up a great question: Are those Christian activist groups looking to ban homosexual marriage, ban abortion, ban alcohol, etc…actually doing any good? Which of course brings up an even deeper question: Is it possible to stand for any of those things as a Christian if we can’t effectively do anything about it in the political realm?
So, I have been wrestling with those questions for almost a year. I even wrote to Greg Boyd a very lengthy email and asked him some questions for clarification, and he graciously responded to me…but it still didn’t help (not his fault though). I was confused, was he (and others like him) saying that we couldn’t stand for such things? That it would be a waste of time for us to actually say, “Hey, what your doing…that ain’t right!” I was so confused because I thought that he was actually saying that I had to give up standing for purity and morality…that I should just grin and bear it.

And then it just clicked…

I don’t remember actually where it came from, but I do remember what was happening. I was watching part 3 of “God’s Warriors” on CNN, for the third time, with these questions in mind. I was listening to Greg Boyd talk about how he came to the point of preaching his series “The Cross and The Sword”, and ultimately writing the book to take a stand for the Kingdom of God and against the kingdom of this world, when I just heard in my mind these verses:

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen 12:1-3)

When I heard those words in my head I immediately knew what Greg was talking about. I knew that the Kingdom that he was talking about was a Kingdom of blessing and that a Kingdom of blessing is a Kingdom of choice.
In the Kingdom of God we CHOOSE to follow God…we CHOOSE to live the Way of Christ in loving God, loving others, building character, and building the Church (thanks to John Burke and Gateway for that!!).
Living in the Kingdom of God is a life that we choose to live. We cannot force it on people; I cannot force people to agree that gay marriage is wrong…I cannot force people to not have abortions…I cannot force people to not drink etc…The point is, whatever people want to do, regardless if we control them with “laws” they will find a way to do it. But what I can do is CHOOSE to follow Jesus and continually offer to others alternatives and choices to get closer and closer to God’s path…to God’s best for their lives.

Me working to make a law against abortion is not going to work, nor will it bring glory to God…me working to end poverty, homelessness, disease, can help…me working to help educate people can help…me working to help young expectant mothers find and fulfill their needs can help…me working from the stance of compassion for them, not judgment against them, will help.

I may not be ethnically Jewish, but I am Abraham’s seed…I am a descendant, and my position in life is to covenant to Abraham’s call, so that I may be a blessing to others…not a curse.

Power Under…Not Power Over.