I just watched a YouTube message from a preacher reminding me what Romans 13:1 says about honoring the authorities that God has installed. It's a well known and oft-repeated verse. Less well known is Romans 13:2 which says, “Whoever resists
that authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those who do so will bring
judgment on themselves.” People seem to believe as long as they're not marching in the street they're adhering to this scripture. But is marching in the street the only way to resist authority? If I stay in my house with my computer can I speak resistance in a kind of anonymous way that God won't notice?
I have never in my life seen more unashamedly slanderous opposition to the President of the United States than I
have during this election period. I can't believe I'm saying it but it's almost enough to wonder whether or not race is really a non-issue. I'm not talking about those who disagree with his policies, just those who hold animosity for the man who is our duly elected leader. I can even understand (though it sounds terribly misdirected) someone like Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell vowing, "My number one priority is making sure president Obama
is a one-term president.” But when a good Christian like Sean Hannity can go on
the air and refer to the President as a liar, an agent of the devil, even the
anti-Christ... can it still be in adherence to Romans 13:1? The fact that he covers himself with the biblical admonition,
“Let not your heart be troubled" doesn't excuse him. In fact it’s so disingenuous it makes me
physically sick to my stomach. People
who feed on this kind of thing are spreading the same kind of damage on
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The continual demeaning of the President does more than just ignore scriptural teaching, it is contributing to the polarization of our society, damaging it in a way we don't seem to recognize.
Maybe we really are bringing judgment on ourselves.
Maybe we really are bringing judgment on ourselves.
