I recently saw on the sidebar of a brother's blog the link, "Abolish Slavery Now". Who would argue against such a noble cause? I am certainly not for slavery. I despise even the thought of one human owning another for his use.
As I clicked away to another site, I remembered Paul and Peter's position on slavery in the Bible. Unless there is something I completely have missed, not one word against slavery! With images of the civil rights marches etched permanently in my mind, I try to reconcile the 1st century reality of the Roman Empire, the Apostles appraisal of slavery, and my personal template formed by my teen years in the segregated South of the United States in the 1950's and '60's.
Do we perhaps go about social change in the wrong way? Is there a better way than protests, marches, and being active in political races? Ephesians 6:5,9, Colossians 3:22 & 4:1, 1 Timothy 6:1,2, Titus 2:9, and 1 Peter 2:18 all lead to the same conclusion. Real change is from the inside out, not the reverse. It is clear that genuine emancipation comes from within and makes a man really free; free from sin's hold, free to love unconditionally, and free to forgive freely.
If a servant in Peter's scope of ministry was to "be submissive to your (his) masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh" (1 Peter 2:18), how will I justify marching up Pennsylvania Ave in Washington with a sign demanding my "rights"?
I can find no instance where Jesus even hinted at social change except for the effect a changed life has on a watching world. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him". Those words offer only strong rebuke to one who has been far too outspoken, far too passionate for social and political change, and far too little affected by He who abides in me.
A kneeling Christian gets more done than a marching Christian.
Grace and Peace,
Royce Ogle
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3 comments:
Great thought and I couldn't agree more. As one who does keep track of social issues, it is easy to forget Christ's words and get too wrapped up in political solutions. God will make all things right in his own time!
Alan
With ya.
"I can find no instance where Jesus even hinted at social change except for the effect a changed life has on a watching world."
Mr. Ogle,
Thanks for this post. As I read it I am again reminded of the tension between The Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world. And we are often caught in the middle. I am in agreement with the humble, submissive approach that you describe. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Christian who also believed in submission to the authorities, often being jailed but never retaliating (similar to Peter and Paul). What amazes me more and more, however, is that this submission is never passive. It is an active, loving submission that stands up in the middle of oppression and at times even speaks boldly to the rulers of the day. This type of loving submission is unique because at times it results in being punished by the authorities, which we should also endure out of love (like Stephen). So again, the tension and the risk of following Jesus and seeking first his Kingdom is great.
But in the past I too have seen Jesus’ words as primarily being focused on changing individuals, not impacting society at large. That is until I started considering what a public statement Jesus made when he had a conversation with a Samaritan woman who was thirsty. In that social climate, Jesus was making a social statement. His actions surely changed the individual, but I’m beginning to see that he was intending much more than that. Again there is tension here… he does not sacrifice the individual for the sake of a social protest. Instead, the individual lives he changes become the social protest against the fallen rulers and kingdoms of this world (in this case the harsh treatment of a minority race). So I now see Jesus’ words as both having personal impact and also a dramatic social impact as he creates a new community of disciples who model loving submission, later to be called His Church.
There is so much to say regarding active submission and discipleship, but I’ve probably gone over the “comment quota” already. Thanks for reading and please keep blogging.
-Russ
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