I originally intended to make this an aside, but thought it might be better on the front page since elections are coming up in a month. Plus this gives me more space to expand on the second point.
If everything David Kuo says about the Bush Administration’s betrayal is true, and his outrage real, then it makes me wonder whether Kuo hasn’t been placing his faith more in the Bush Administration than in Christ Himself and His kingdom?
Incidentally, I should add, as wonderful as our form of government is, it’s not the end all and be all of our faith. In fact, democracy isn’t an absolute necessity for Christianity to flourish. The early church flowered in an all-out pagan culture which reveled in debauchery and violence and which was ruled (essentially) by a militarily-backed despot. At times he could be benevolent. But at a whim he could turn bloodthirsty, too. Yet Christianity could not be stamped out. In fact, it was the other way around: the Roman Empire eventually became (nominally) Christian.
Near the twilight of the Empire, Augustine completed The City of God. It was mainly a response to the sacking of Rome. Many Romans blamed the sack on the fact that Rome had turned away from her ancient gods and become Christian. Augustine himself died while the barbarians were literally at the gates of Hippo. However, even at the precipice of the end of civilization, when nearly every major city in the Roman Empire including Rome itself had fallen to the invading hordes, the city of God did not fall. It would not fall. It will never fall.
This doesn’t mean Christians should forsake all temporal activities, e.g. not participate in politics, of course, but that our primary aim and goal in life should be to build God’s city, His kingdom, His church — not our kingdom or empire, since the kingdoms of this world won’t last.
Moving on, even in the Dark Ages, and under a millennia of persecution by kings and so-called “servants of God” (e.g. many of the Catholic popes) alike, God kept the gates of Hades from prevailing against His true church. For instance, Jan Hus and nameless others died on the eve of the Reformation. By God’s grace, they kept the light of the gospel alive.
The Reformers and those who followed similarly suffered tremendous persecution. But they did not count their lives in this world as worth anything. Rather they desired a better country, a heavenly country. And lived with their eyes fixed on it, and on its king, whose name is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today, Christians are persecuted around the world — from Africa to China and elsewhere. In particular, the Chinese government is vehemently opposed to Christianity as well as free speech and assembly in general. We hear echoes of terrible tortures and indescribable sufferings against Christians from the Communist regime. Yet the Chinese underground church is estimated as high as 50 million strong, and growing.
Although we should fight dearly for democracy, and for our liberties and rights (and hopefully that’s what Kuo is doing, although it appears doubtful), we should realize that even if the Constitution itself is wholly trampled underfoot, and we lose everything our forefathers fought, bled, and died to secure for us, in the end even these are not requisite to the health and well-being of Christianity.
No, we look forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
