On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, America witnessed one of the saddest days in history. The Capitol Building, a bastion of democracy around the world, was stormed and essentially taken over by a mob of demonstrators.
Lives were lost.
Parts of the building were damaged.
And America will never be the same.
As someone who deeply loves and appreciates the United States of America, my heart was and remains broken.
There are of course those who have defended the actions of the rioters, but I am not one of them. What happened on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, was despicable, shameful, and indefensible.
For more of my thoughts on the incident itself, I encourage you to watch this video which I posted on both Facebook and YouTube…
For now, I simply want to say the following — and I address these comments to my Christian readers especially:
- Our hope should be in God, not the government. And not politics.
- We should be known by our love, not by our anger or hate.
- The Bible says we are to honor and pray for our civil government and our leaders — not call for insurrection or engage in violence against law enforcement or destruction of public (or private) property as well as the institutions of our government.
I spoke against the riots and violent demonstrations in the summer of 2020 (in the wake of the murder of George Floyd), and it would be inexcusably inconsistent for me not to do the same this week.
In fact, I think it’s fair for all Americans — and all people of faith in America — to consider the inconsistencies between government’s response to the unrest in the summer of 2020 versus what happened this week. I think every white American should be willing to acknowledge to their fellow Americans of color that justice doesn’t appear “color blind” when we compare those things.
Violence and criminal activity are not legitimate means of protest. People have the right to speak out, but they do not have the right to engage in violence.
I realize some will ask: “What if Hitler is in power? Is it okay to engage in insurrection against Hitler or the Nazis?”
Others will say: “What about the Founding Fathers? Didn’t they rebel against Great Britain?”
Here is what the Bible says:
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Paul the Apostle, Romans 13:1-7, NKJV
And then there’s this passage…
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Peter the Apostle, I Peter 2:13-17, NKJV
Please note that Paul and Peter were both writing in the context of the often corrupt, frequently dysfunctional, and more-than-periodically oppressive Roman Empire.
Please note that, ponder that, and pray about that.
In a fallen world, full of imperfect and morally compromised (some would say “totally depraved”) human beings, we will have imperfect and corrupt civil governments.
No nation-state is perfect.
No government is perfect.
No system of government is perfect.
None.
There will always be problems, irregularities, corruption, and more. There will always be issues and questions and challenges.
Always.
But if you choose to live in an organized society with a civil apparatus that governs said society, then guess what?
You have to accept that you will live in a society with other imperfect sinners and be governed by imperfect sinners.
And you have to agree to accept that — with all that entails!
But…but…but…. what about Hitler? What about King George III and the American Founders? What about….?
There are four (4) Bible passages that pertain to these (and other such) questions. They are:
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I Timothy 2:1-4, NKJV
How often do you pray for your fellow Americans, including those who disagree with you? How often do you pray for your leaders — including those you don’t support and didn’t vote for? And how often do you strive, in your life and prayer life, to pursue what is “good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior?”
Before we complain, shouldn’t we pray?
Before we get upset and angry at the news or our politicians, shouldn’t we be consistently and passionately praying for them?
And certainly, before we talk about (or, God help us, engage in) riots and insurrections, shouldn’t we be praying for and interceding for the country we claim to care about — or at least should care about?
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
Acts 5:29, NKJV
In the above passage, we see the only explicit authorization for civil disobedience in Scripture, and that is when what government tells you to do conflicts with what God says you should do.
What about insurrection or revolution?
And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel 2:21, NKJV (emphasis mine)
As far as God’s followers participating in some kind of insurrection or uprising (and let me quickly say to my fellow Christians in America: “We ain’t there yet! Okay?”) is when God orchestrates a change in government.
Did God tell some Christians to resist the Nazis even in ways that were illegal? Ask Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Did God lead the American Founders to rebel against Great Britain and start a new country? The Christians among the Founders believed so, and said so – on numerous occasions. Were they right? That’s between them and God, but I will say this…
There were repeated calls for prayer and fasting put out by the various colonial legislative assemblies and by the First and Second Continental Congress in the years leading up to and during the American Revolution.
How many prayer meetings took place amongst the protesters who stormed the Capitol Building this week?
Just because you feel you’ve been wronged doesn’t give you the right to take up arms and rebel. Not in God’s eyes anyway.
Again, read Romans 13:1-7 and I Peter 2:13-17. And then read them again.
And again if need be.
And maybe one more time if you still have questions.
And remember to keep your expectations in check. All human governments are flawed and imperfect.
Every single one of them.
And that’s why the psalmist writes:
It is better to trust in the Lord
Psalm 118:8-9, NKJV
Than to put confidence in man.
It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in princes.
So, my fellow Christian…
Where is your trust?
If you find yourself living in a community, state, or country that is too challenging and too difficult or too dysfunctional or too oppressive or whatever? Then… Pray and ask God to allow you to move and to help you to move out of said community, state, or country.
It’s one thing for you to decide that living in Country X or under Government Y is unacceptable and therefore move as opposed to participating in or stirring up violence or unrest that impacts the other people living in said country or under said government.
Don’t be self-centered in your perspective on politics.
Jesus says “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
At the very least, that means being considerate of others.
I know the United States has its problems, and I agree our government leaders need to be open (always) to accountability and our system of government needs continual management to ensure that it is as honest, just, fair, and consistent as it can be.
But I also know humanity’s limitations.
And I know that my ultimate trust and hope needs to be in God and not in politics.
I hope you realize the same.
I do not want to be known for my anger, rage, or agitation.
I want to be known for my trust in God and love for others.
What about you?
Yes, thanks for reminding us that the Lord’s ways are above our own. I think it would have been right in Nazi Germany for the Church to rise up against the Nazis since we are called to care for the oppressed. I have read that the Church largely did not, only a few such as Bonhoeffer did. Regarding present day America, I think that if you were to distill the current conflict into its essence, you would get: Evangelical Christians who believe God gave America to them……ungodly non-Christians are taking it away…..God requires them to take it back or else judgment and persecution will come. Since the Moral Majority was founded in the 1980s, the Evangelical worldview has grown twisted, and we have fashioned God to suit our political power goals.
“…we have fashioned God to suit our political power goals.” You’re right. And it’s sad. 🙁