Lord President, Lord Speaker, or Lord God?

We are now treated with observing two great democracies in meltdown, not that they haven’t been in moral and spiritual meltdown for some time, but the paralysis we are witnessing is yet another reminder of the futility of placing one’s hopes in this age, in a political party, in an economic system, and in hyper-nationalism. What saddens me most, here in the USA, is that much of the professing-church continues to drink the political poison. When I take a chance and turn on what is supposed to be “Christian radio” I often do not hear Biblical perspectives, but rather the same vitriol and thoughtless babel that permeates general talk-radio.

Last year my friend Michael Daily gave me a book which I have found to be a particular treasure, Wise Counsel, John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr., Grant Gordon Editor, Banner of Truth Trust. The book contains 83 letters from Newton to Ryland, which the editor sets in their historical context. After reading only two or three of Newton’s letters I thought, “If only I had someone like John Newton in my life when I was younger!” Newton’s letters are straightforward and yet loving; an older man writing to a younger man who is open to counsel – counsel that is often direct, at times indirect, always careful and thoughtful, and decidedly humble.

On August 1, 1775 Newton shares his thoughts about the rebellion in America (recall that Lexington and Concord was in April 1775) and the Christian’s response to turmoil both at home and in the Colonies.

“As a minister and a Christian I think it is better to lay all the blame upon sin. Instead of telling people Lord North [the Prime Minister] blunders, I tell them the Lord of hosts is angry. If God has a controversy with us, I can expect no other than that wisdom should be hidden from the wise. If our Lord’s kingdom was of this world, then I think his servants would have as good a right as others to take the lead in political disputes; at present I believe they will do as well to let the dead bury the dead, to mourn for what they cannot help, and to ply the throne of grace as the best and most effectual method of serving their country. I believe the sins of Britain and America have too much prevailed, and that a wrong spirit and wrong measures have taken place on both sides because the Lord has left us to ourselves.” [Italics mine].

Luther wrote about the Babylonian captivity of the church, I think we could just as easily speak of the political and cultural captivity of the church. We surrender our minds to thoughtlessness, clichés, arguments against bogey men and women, fear, self-interest; why aren’t we on our collective knees crying out to God for mercy? When we pray we often pray against our political and cultural adversaries rather than stand in the gap and intercede on behalf of all people, rather than confess our own sins and the sins of our nation. Some professing Christians think and act as if their particular eschatological viewpoint gives them carte blanche to overlook gross inequities and injustices in their own nation and in other “favored” nations, while at the same time painting those peoples and nations in opposition to them (real or imagined) with a broad brush of judgement and harshness. At a time when this generation needs the Church to be the Church with a clear and unequivocal witness of Jesus Christ, and with a clear statement that we are pilgrims and aliens on this earth, we often throw in our lot with the agendas of a world-system that is opposed to our Father’s kingdom.

We think that “the Lord of hosts is angry” with the sin of others and not ours; the sin of other nations, the sin of other political viewpoints, the sin of other economic viewpoints, the sin of other social viewpoints; but He is not angry with our sin. Those other people are the enemies of God, not our own people.

Do we not, as a nation, as a culture, and often as a church, have “a wrong spirit and wrong measures”? Has not God sent us “a strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:11); has God not “given us up” (Romans 1:24) to our own wicked desires?

I think that rather than have a national flag in our churches, which is problematic and creates confusion, that the only flag we ought to have is a white flag of surrender to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Perhaps John Newton has something to say to us.