Posts tagged “Authority”

The Evil of Two Lessers

 

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:1-7 NIV)
If you take enough courses from the same college professor, you start to hear the same stories, laugh at the same jokes, predict when he’ll use the same expressions, and fine tune the prof’s idiosyncracies. I had a favorite political science prof who, in addition to being a respectable instructor, was a little on the goofy side. He was a tall, lanky fellow and a little awkward on his feet. He usually had a rooster tail hairdo and occasionally wore his sweaters backwards. But he always had a good story to tell. And I though I left his classes with grades that left something to be desired, I learned a lot of great phrases and expressions that I liked to use other places. One that has stuck throughout the years was his reference to a pair of presidential candidates that seemed to be equally unsatisfying to most of the electorate. He referred to voting in that election as choosing between “the evil of two lessers.” 
I think that’s how many people view this election as well. Many people are excited about their favored candidate, but a lot of folks have just not been able to get fired up about either one. Both have given them cause for concern for one reason or another, or for lots of reasons for that matter. 
If you know me, you know I’m something of a political junkie. Sites like politico.com and realclearpolitics.com take top billing in my Internet bookmarks. During the presidential primary and general election debates, I could usually be found in front of the television with my laptop and two or three websites open that were liveblogging the event. I learned a couple of decades ago not to get into political arguments though, and with the exception of a few small circles I try to keep my comments vague and my precise perspective on candidates and issues to myself. This has never been a political blog and don’t expect it ever will be. But as I sit here tonight watching CNN dissect election returns, I become more acutely aware of how tomorrow will be yet another in a long list of recent days that brings with it waves of lasting change for our country. You might see that as exciting and long needed change, the dawn of something new and hopeful for us. Or you might see nothing but unraveling and crumbling in the days and years to come. I’m not going to tell you how I see it. It’s not the point.
Whichever way it goes for you, I think it’s important to remember where God has His hand. Paul writes to the Romans, and so then also to us, that there is “no authority except that which God has established.” I won’t argue about whether or not the man we elect tonight is hand picked by God, or that God had a favorite candidate, or if God belongs to one party or the other. I don’t think that kind of discussion is fruitful and I think it tends to be reflect our arrogance when we think we are in position to make that kind of decision for God. But I digress. The point is that they don’t get authority except what God gives to them. No one is in that place of authority that was not allowed to be there by God. God’s hand is here with us. God’s sovereignty is not to be undone by the U.S. presidential election in 2008. 
Now, here’s something I find interesting about Paul’s word to the Romans. He asks them, “Do you want to be free from the fear of the one in authority?” He’s about to give some wise counsel to the Roman Christians about how to conduct themselves in such a way that they need not fear governmental authority. Now, he’s talking here in the context of doing what is right to remain in good standing with the authorities. But if you tip your head just a little to take a slightly different angle on it, I think there’s counsel for us here as well. Are you fearful about the man who appears poised to become our next president? Are you afraid of what changes he’ll make? Are you afraid of things you’ve heard? Are you afraid of what’s going to happen now? Paul says you don’t need to be. “For rulers hold no terror or those who do right.” The guy who becomes president on January 20 has his job to do. And he’s accountable to God for how he governs. But I have my job to do too. If I do my part, if I continue to do right, I have no need to fear. God is in control. He has allowed the authorities to be in place that are, not just in the U.S. but around the globe. 
The new president’s part will be to govern responsibly. My part? “Give everyone what you owe him.” According to Paul, that ranges from everything from the very tangible things like taxes and revenue to the more abstract and slippery things like respect and honor. Like the guy or not, like his policies or not, we give him what he is due. 
Whether or not God takes care of us has nothing to do with who happens to be in the White House or in the Congress. Let’s face it. No matter who gets it done tonight, we’re in for some ground shaking changes over the next several years. God is no less in control before the election than after. He’s no less in control before the mortgage crisis than after. He’s no less in control whether we live and breathe trickle down economics or believe we need to spread the wealth around. He’s no less in control. Period.
Authorities exist and are permitted to govern because God has allowed them to do so. Despite CNN’s best efforts to try to convince us that there’s still some suspense in this thing, God will not be surprised when the final votes are tallied and the networks call the last state. He knew back in the day when He walked and talked with Noah what would be happening in a country a world away, that wasn’t even populated yet, thousands of years later. 
Call it as you will, whether we got the greater or the lesser. Like David, we put our hope in God. We don’t put our hope in earthly authorities, but neither do we need to fear them.
My political ranting can now be put to rest for another four years or so. We hope.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Romans 13:1-7 NIV)

 

If you take enough courses from the same college professor, you start to hear the same stories, laugh at the same jokes, predict when he’ll use the same expressions, and fine tune the prof’s idiosyncracies. I had a favorite political science prof who, in addition to being a respectable instructor, was a little on the goofy side. He was a tall, lanky fellow and a little awkward on his feet. He usually had a rooster tail hairdo and occasionally wore his sweaters backwards. But he always had a good story to tell. And I though I left his classes with grades that left something to be desired, I learned a lot of great phrases and expressions that I liked to use other places. One that has stuck throughout the years was his reference to a pair of presidential candidates that seemed to be equally unsatisfying to most of the electorate. He referred to voting in that election as choosing between “the evil of two lessers.” 

I think that’s how many people view this election as well. Many people are excited about their favored candidate, but a lot of folks have just not been able to get fired up about either one. Both have given them cause for concern for one reason or another, or for lots of reasons for that matter. 

If you know me, you know I’m something of a political junkie. Sites like politico.com and realclearpolitics.com take top billing in my Internet bookmarks. During the presidential primary and general election debates, I could usually be found in front of the television with my laptop and two or three websites open that were liveblogging the event. I learned a couple of decades ago not to get into political arguments though, and with the exception of a few small circles I try to keep my comments vague and my precise perspective on candidates and issues to myself. This has never been a political blog and don’t expect it ever will be. But as I sit here tonight watching CNN dissect election returns, I become more acutely aware of how tomorrow will be yet another in a long list of recent days that brings with it waves of lasting change for our country. You might see that as exciting and long needed change, the dawn of something new and hopeful for us. Or you might see nothing but unraveling and crumbling in the days and years to come. I’m not going to tell you how I see it. It’s not the point.

Whichever way it goes for you, I think it’s important to remember where God has His hand. Paul writes to the Romans, and so then also to us, that there is “no authority except that which God has established.” I won’t argue about whether or not the man we elect tonight is hand picked by God, or that God had a favorite candidate, or if God belongs to one party or the other. I don’t think that kind of discussion is fruitful and I think it tends to be reflect our arrogance when we think we are in position to make that kind of decision for God. But I digress. The point is that they don’t get authority except what God gives to them. No one is in that place of authority that was not allowed to be there by God. God’s hand is here with us. God’s sovereignty is not to be undone by the U.S. presidential election in 2008. 

Now, here’s something I find interesting about Paul’s word to the Romans. He asks them, “Do you want to be free from the fear of the one in authority?” He’s about to give some wise counsel to the Roman Christians about how to conduct themselves in such a way that they need not fear governmental authority. Now, he’s talking here in the context of doing what is right to remain in good standing with the authorities. But if you tip your head just a little to take a slightly different angle on it, I think there’s counsel for us here as well. Are you fearful about the man who appears poised to become our next president? Are you afraid of what changes he’ll make? Are you afraid of things you’ve heard? Are you afraid of what’s going to happen now? Paul says you don’t need to be. “For rulers hold no terror or those who do right.” The guy who becomes president on January 20 has his job to do. And he’s accountable to God for how he governs. But I have my job to do too. If I do my part, if I continue to do right, I have no need to fear. God is in control. He has allowed the authorities to be in place that are, not just in the U.S. but around the globe. 

The new president’s part will be to govern responsibly. My part? “Give everyone what you owe him.” According to Paul, that ranges from everything from the very tangible things like taxes and revenue to the more abstract and slippery things like respect and honor. Like the guy or not, like his policies or not, we give him what he is due. 

Whether or not God takes care of us has nothing to do with who happens to be in the White House or in the Congress. Let’s face it. No matter who gets it done tonight, we’re in for some ground shaking changes over the next several years. God is no less in control before the election than after. He’s no less in control before the mortgage crisis than after. He’s no less in control whether we live and breathe trickle down economics or believe we need to spread the wealth around. He’s no less in control. Period.

Authorities exist and are permitted to govern because God has allowed them to do so. Despite CNN’s best efforts to try to convince us that there’s still some suspense in this thing, God will not be surprised when the final votes are tallied and the networks call the last state. He knew back in the day when He walked and talked with Noah what would be happening in a country a world away, that wasn’t even populated yet, thousands of years later. 

Call it as you will, whether we got the greater or the lesser. Like David, we put our hope in God. We don’t put our hope in earthly authorities, but neither do we need to fear them.

My political ranting can now be put to rest for another four years or so. We hope.

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2008/11/04 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »