Christians and Politics

A friend of mine had a letter published in the Star Telegram. I thought it was so excellent I got permission to publish it here as well.

Columnist Cal Thomas appears to believe that Christians should abandon politics and instead be just about the business of doing "good works." (See: "Christians may have learned the most from the election," Nov. 9)

Even though some valid points were made, some of the opinions were, I believe, misguided.
Many Christians have an incomplete picture of God’s plan for his people in society. We stray from one extreme to the other: retreating or becoming like the culture.

Thomas’ answer is the former extreme: retreat — at least in politics. I heartily agree that Christians should do good works, but to abandon the institution of civil government that was established by God is not only unscriptural, but foolish.

"Are we to sit back and expect the ungodly to produce the fruits of godliness?," asked the Plymouth Rock Foundation. "That would not be faith, that would be folly. It would be handing the nation to humanism by default."

Does it not make sense that Christians would want civil government to be filled with godly men who understand godly principles?

There are reasons that some Christians do fail in politics and in efforts to transform government.
One is that they have little or no understanding of what God’s design for government is supposed to look like.

Secondly, we believe that we must vote for the lesser of two evils when it comes to choosing civil magistrates (i.e., president of the United States) instead of voting according to the clear qualifications in Scripture. We fail to realize that God can easily take care of the results when his people are obedient.

Thirdly, we, as Christians, must take back the authority of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and understand that the word of God, in principle when not explicitly, is applicable to every area of life.

Finally, although not exhaustively, churches must stop worshipping at the altar of their 501(c)(3)’s and stand up and be heard. What a shame to us all that we too often fear to let our voices ring out today.

A clear reading of Scripture and knowledge of history leave no doubt that Christians should and must be involved in civil government in whatever capacity God calls them.

— Kerri Jackson

Review of My Little Girl

Thanks to Wickle, I am now receiving books to review from Thomas Nelson. My first one is My Little Girl by Tim McGraw.

I have to start this review by saying that I am NOT a country music fan. So I would probably never have purchased it as there is a picture (a small one) of Tim McGraw on the front cover. That being said, I found this book to be delightful.

It is a story about having fun just being together. The story line follows a father/daughter pair from morning until bedtime. It reminded me that all of my best memories of my dad are of doing normal non-spectacular things like building snowmen or riding on his back. This book is a good reminder that children don't need to be razzle-dazzled by fancy gifts or big vacations; children need interacting parenting parents.

The little girl in the book reminded me very much of my own little girl. She has a hodge-podge of tastes which I enjoyed glimpsing. I liked the father as well.

The illustrations are great. They fit right in with the story. The vibrant colors go so well with a vibrant girl.

If you have a daughter between 4-6, she will likely love this book. When I read it to my daughter, she asked, "Mommy, can I keep this book because I love it." It would make a great Valentine's day gift, but really would be appropriate any time. Enjoy.

Unsolicited Advice

I have been wondering, "When is it my duty before God to give unsolicited advice?" I look at people in the Bible like Elijah and Jonah and Nathan and John the Baptist. They all gave unsolicited advice (most of it unpleasant). Of course they were prophets. But as a child of God don't I have some of the same responsibilities: to warn, to rebuke. Now I know that unsolicited generally negative advice will likely turn many (if not most) people off. Then again, Jonah led a whole city to repentance and Nathan, a king. So how does this fit into my life?

When should I speak out against daycare (in a loving way of course) to people that have their newborn in daycare?

When should I speak out against shacking up to people that have been living together for years?

When should I stand up for husband headship amid Christian women who are disrespecting their husbands?

I have often heard that you need to have a strong relationship first. But is that what we find in the Bible? Nathan had a strong relationship with David, but Jonah hated the people of Nineveh and waited for them to die. John the Baptist rebuked whole crowds of people at a time.

When are we to speak the truth in love and when are we to keep our big mouths shut?

Am I more likely to be sinning when I remain silent or when I speak up?

In part I think that the real crux of this matter is: Am I willing to speak the truth even at the cost of friendships or ridicule?

Is most of this angst really about the right or wrong of saying something or is it fear of people and what they will think, say, or do?
I would love to hear all of your comments!

Cry of the Orphan

Orphans and widows are mentioned throughout the Bible as people the faithful should take care of. I am not well suited to foster care or adoption, but I am interested in helping financially. The Cry of the Orphan website has information about all three avenues to helping orphans (foster parenting, adoption, helping organizations that care for orphans). There are also resources for churches that want to start orphan ministries. It is a great site and I recommend that you check it out.

White House Bathrooms

Back in January, I did a post called "Is That a Man in the Women's Bathroom?" It looks as though we might soon be asking the same question about the White House bathrooms. According to OneNewsNow, Obama has pledged to not discriminate based on gender identity. They also have an article suggesting that Vicki Robinson (the gay priest whose ordination started a fissure in the Episcopal church) has become Obama's new spiritual advisor. The two have had three meetings so far.

More Local More Personal

AP had a story recently that I found encouraging. It talks about "anti-abortion" leaders and activists are even more resolved now than ever. "Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life. "But that disappointment and anger are forms of energy. ...I believe a lot of people on the sidelines for last eight years will now get engaged." The article talks about how many efforts will now involve more vigils and protests. O that many people will go public this year that have never had the guts to do so in the past. The article also predicts that there will be more volunteers at those "anti-abortion" crisis pregnancy centers. O God, please let it be so.

The article goes on to discuss contraception. "Under a Democratic-led government, abortion-rights supporters will call on conservatives to join in an effort to reduce abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies. Anti-abortion leaders say they are unwilling to do this if it means abandoning their abstinence-only approach and supporting greater access to birth control for unmarried women." Praise God that these leaders are standing firm for abstinence only until marriage!

"Any time you have a loss like that, you have an opportunity to reassess and come back stronger," said Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. "If they want to see this as a big loss that will set us back, that's OK. Our people are very energized, and ready for Round Two." As someone who was never physically involved in round one, I am certainly more ready for Round Two. I hope and pray that there are many thousands like me.

I will leave you with a biblical mandate and encouragement: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1John 3:18

Happy Veteran's Day

To all of you who are serving or have served in the US Military, I say thank you. Thank you for loving this country enough to be willing to die for it. Thank you for loving freedom.

If you would like more information about Veteran's Day, the Department of Veteran's Affairs has this website.

Special thanks to my husband for serving as a Marine.