It’s difficult to know what a government should do, but it’s easy to talk about. It’s a lot easier to know what we should do, but difficult to actually do it.
If we call someone a father or mother, Jesus says we are to honor and respect them.
If we call someone a brother or sister, Jesus says we are to love them, seek unity and the bonds of peace.
If we call someone a husband or wife, Jesus says we are to submit to them (to “one another”)—and especially, in the case of a husband, to sacrifice and give up our lives for her.
If we call someone a neighbor, we are to love them as we love ourselves, and to go out of our way to help them in any situation—even if they are from an ethnic group that is generally despised in our country (as was the case between the Samaritans and the Jews).
If we call someone a government officer, we are to pay them what they say they are owed, pray for them, and go the extra mile to serve a governing official—without being asked.
If we call someone an enemy, we are to love them, speak kind words to them, do good things for them, bless them, and turn the other cheek when they hit us.
We can’t control what a government does. In many cases we can’t control what a company does, or the actions of any large organization.
We are responsible for our actions—and those are often the most difficult things of all to be responsible for.
{ 0 comments… add one now }