Speaking truth to power, mercy to the wayward

We live in a very special nation. We are an intentionally secular nation. Our nation’s Constitution’s First Amendment is very clear. Government at every level is to stay out of the business of churches and religious organizations. There is no prohibition of the full participation of religious organizations in the affairs of the nation. When religious organizations ask for federal tax exemption, the IRS does set some rules that govern the activities of those organizations, but the reality remains.

Government must stay out of religion; religion does not have to stay out of the affairs of government. Under these rules religion has thrived in the United States.

When sorting out the relationships of churches and governments, the Bible gives us little help. In the pre-Christian era, religion and governing were locked together. Temple and king were joined at the hip. At times the Israelites were overrun by conquering neighbors. They maintained their unique faith under duress. During the life of Jesus and the years following, they lived under the heel of the Roman Empire. The Romans killed Jesus as an insurrectionist. Paul was a Jewish convert to Christianity. He had attained official Roman citizenship and skillfully used his citizenship to the advantage of his missionary endeavors

From that vantage point he wrote his advice to his converts in chapter 13 of his letter to Romans. His advice was pointed.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, he who resists the authorities, resists what God has appointed and will incur judgment.

Jesus was killed as an insurrectionist. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed several times for breaking the laws of the elected rulers. Said King, “An unjust law is no law at all.”

What is the proper role of religion in relationship to government? Devout followers of Jesus from Nazareth must make thoughtful decisions and act accordingly. I have tried to make that evaluation as a 21^st century Christian living in a secular America. I choose an activist role. I have set my course. Two responsibilities are near the head of my list. Churches, ministers and devout believers have a responsibility to SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER.

By design, we are a nation of laws. There may well be ethics, justice concerns, and morality that motivate the passing of laws, but when laws are enacted, they stand on their own. Morals and ethics no longer matter. The only question is the reading of the law. Unshackled American religious individuals and communities are free to speak truth to power. I would argue that religious communities have not just freedom, but responsibility to speak truth to power.

The subject of speaking truth to power is a special and important subject in America today. Since the election of Donald Trump, our president has issued executive orders that are offensive to the teachings of Jesus from Nazareth, the one many of us call “Lord.” His callousness toward refugees and his indifference to the environment are two examples that have been pointed out by the conservative, Evangelical magazine Christianity Today. Many Christian believers would add extensively to that list.

The proposal to build a wall across our American southern border is especially offensive to me. My Christian Faith calls me to actively take down walls, not build them.

For me to remain silent is completely unacceptable. Truth must be spoken to those in power without regard to their legal election and their acting within the letter of law.

I have a second priority public responsibility. Background to that responsibility is basic Christian teaching. We are all sinners. My best understanding of the word that we translate from Greek to English as “sin” is often understood only in terms of petty morality. We need to do better thinking. Sinner is a proper name for any person who “misses the mark” or “falls short” of the goal of the high calling of God to live a responsible life. Every human being, who has ever lived, is properly seen as “sinner.” I have fallen short and so also has every person who reads this column. I am an ordinary human being, who needs grace and mercy every day of his life. I cannot afford to be judging and condemning. Jesus taught that we should love our perceived enemies and do good to those who wrongfully use us. We seem to forget that he begged his Father in Heaven for forgiveness for those who were killing him.

As badly as I believe our president is behaving, Donald Trump is an ordinary sinner, loved by God and for whom Jesus (in some peculiar way) died. Kindness never ceases to be a prime Christian virtue. Donald Trump needs grace and mercy. I have a responsibility to communicate the truth of God’s mercy in Christ to all sinners, including Donald Trump.

We must be unshrinking from our responsibility to speak truth to power, but it is a hollow Christian expression if it is not accompanied with MERCY TO THE IMMORAL.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.