Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “The Cry of the Prophets”. An interesting perspective. Are we to be advocates for those marginalized? And if we are, how are we to be advocates? I have some Christian friends who are quite engaged with environmental stewardship and participate in marches and other involvement activities focused upon environmental safe-keeping. I know some who join protest marches favoring “pro-life” advocacy. The “Teacher’s Comments” section of this week’s lesson states this aim… “Challenge your class to join the voices still calling for justice today in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets”. Hmmmm?? What does this “challenge” say to you? Should we Christians join in with marches and political activism? Is this a bad thing? A good thing? Which raises the question, can a good thing be bad? Let’s look at this from a Biblical perspective.
During his ministry on two occasions, Jesus created bread to feed thousands from almost nothing (a few small loaves). And this was a good thing. But in the wilderness temptation, creating bread from almost nothing (stones) would have been a bad thing. The difference was in the motive. Political activism could be a good thing… maybe… but it all depends on several factors that all swirl around your motivation. For God, motivation is everything. The Bible even has a word for this motivation. The word is “heart”. Your “heart” is the determiner of so much. Your “heart” is not merely feelings or impressions or your “gut” feeling (hasn’t your “gut” feeling ever led you astray?). Your “heart” involves your mind, the intellect, the higher powers of reason and thought… that lead you to commitment, action, … and passion, too. After all, Christ was often moved with compassion. But feelings that attend motivation are never to lead. A determined set of your will submitted to God is to lead, regardless of feelings. But when acted-upon, this motivation always leads to feelings, too. Principle acted upon will bring feelings in its train. So what is the motive for any political activism?
Is it to drive-home an agenda you are convinced about? Is it to promote a certain candidate, party or platform? If so, then I would suggest you question if your motivation is from a will submitted to God. God did not resort to political activism to reach and change people’s hearts and minds. He knew that clever arguments and political protests excited a lot of enthusiasm. But the real issue is inside each individual. Clever arguments may cause policy change that we agree with. But our own 18th Amendment (Prohibition) to our Constitution shows us how policy changes and political initiatives do not address the real issue. The real issue for us sinners is a changed heart and mind. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10), David cried-out. This is man’s pressing need. And political activism does not achieve this. We need re-creation. In fact, God has shown us the one and only way hearts are changed and made clean.
The one way to change hearts and minds from self-centered (sin) to other-centered (love) is by love. “Only by love is love awakened” (Desire of Ages page 22). “By the knowledge of His love expressed to us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued, and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of heaven. God does not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to expel sin from the heart. By it (love) He changes pride into humility, and enmity and unbelief into love and faith” (Mount of Blessing pg. 76). Love only. So is political activism “love”? I expect not. Political activism changes laws, rules, and codes. Laws enforce behavior from the outside. That is all any law can do. Laws are “compulsory measures”. Therefore, laws cannot change hearts. Love alone changes hearts.
The prophets cry must be seen in this light. Crying out about the evils of their day. NOT to change behavior but to turn hearts to God (which will in-turn change individual’s behavior). The prophets were crying out to the nation that claimed God as their own. They did not cry-out to a secular audience because those prophet’s cries would likely be misunderstood and misapplied. The prophet’s cries were but the call of love. A call to come Home to the Father’s heart. But if to a secular audience, the call to come Home to an unknown “Father” would be presumptuous at best and spurious at worst. A secular audience must first be introduced to their “Father” of love. And the way we introduce them to Him is in the way we, who have claimed our Father as our own, live and love them as our Father lives and loves them… as demonstrated by God’s Son, our brother. We who have reciprocated God’s claim of us are to spend our lives in love towards them with the same love with which we have been loved. This is how hearts and minds are changed. Not by political means but by love.
Lastly, remember what love is. Love is not merely an emotion or feeling. It is a consciously chosen attitude of your mind given over to God. A determined set of your will submitted to Christ. Love is simply bringing your God-given power of choice, to say or do what is in the best interest of the other person… regardless of your feelings. Pure Christian love is not feeling… it is a principle. Because feelings are fickle and prone to vacillate. Therefore, love can be speaking-up. But be sure that your motive is doing what is best for the other. Not some need of yours to be right, or assert your personal conviction, or stifle debate or any other motive than love for the specific individual. Love is not dispensed “en-masse”. Love is shed individually… one at a time… person to person.
Let us love others into the kingdom, back Home to their Father. We cannot argue or debate anyone into the kingdom. God has shown us the way. Love alone. How wonderful can it be! He calls us to love! Let us follow.
With brotherly love,
Jim