The Prescription for Christian Myopia (Part 2 of 2)
“You can be involved in politics, but it’s not everything. If your side loses, God is still sovereign and in control. The world may be a mess, but God’s future is coming. If your side wins, you can be humble and gracious—there’s a bigger picture at stake.” Joshua Ryan Butler
We’re talking about how shortsighted we can so easily become in regard to the chaotic environment of our present world of politics, poverty, disease, war, climate change, and on and on. Our myopia tends to show when we followers of Jesus can’t seem to see beyond the tips of our noses and fail to lean into the much bigger picture of the kingdom of God. This kingdom is “already and not yet.” It’s been here since Jesus’ resurrection and yet won’t culminate until his return. To our own detriment, it’s his return that seems to have eluded us of late. Our murky vision of the big picture makes us myopic.
The most often recorded miracle of Jesus is the healing of the blind. In one case he did it in stages (Mark 8:22-26). I suppose we could all use a second or second thousandth touch of Jesus to be able to see more clearly.
Let’s proceed…
Michelangelo had many assistants while painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, if only to mix his paints, scramble up and down ladders, and prepare the day’s plaster (a nasty business I’m told). But without Michelangelo all of them collectively had no chance of producing the masterpiece. Jesus is the King of the kingdom. And on that glad day when the Master Painter returns, he will bring it all to completion––to perfection. But today, he’s using us to further the work that he will someday complete. Can you see the honor in that?
So don’t be apathetic about your role in the world to build for his kingdom. It’s not whether we engage the world around us but why and how we engage. When our engagement is done for the right reasons and in the most Christlike way, it will ultimately find its way into the eternal kingdom of God.
And as to any apoplexy you might be feeling in these days of unprecedented social, political, economic chaos, I urge you to lean into the hope of his future renewal of all things. No matter how bad it gets here, ultimate (eternal) peace and justice is not at risk. Are we surrounded by disturbing realties such as war, famine, dictatorships, injustice everywhere? Yes, and we must do our part to alleviate as much suffering and sin in the world as we can. In the meantime, eschew the twin hope sappers of fear and anger. Fear only God and be angry only at what makes him angry. But don’t sin in your anger (Ephesians 4:26, 31).
Kaitlyn Schiess says, “We believe that this story we are living does not end in violence, chaos, and strife—it ends with perfect righteousness, justice, and peace.” Contrary to what anger peddlers are selling, there’s no destroying of God’s kingdom. Elon Musk posted on X, “Unless there is more bravery to stand up for what is fair and right, Christianity will perish.” Not so much, no! Christianity has no chance of ultimate failure. Jesus said he’d build his Church and hades’ gates wouldn’t be able to tear it down (Matthew 16:18)!
Fear and anger mongering leads to violent solutions to social problems. We’re hearing so-called “Christian” voices that advocate doing “whatever it takes to save our country.” They claim that if this candidate or that party wins in the next election it will end our very existence, and all that’s left is to destroy or be destroyed. Unfounded apoplexy!
The civil rights movement in the 60s rooted its nonviolent approach on the hope of the ultimate kingdom of God covering the earth as the waters cover the sea! Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “Though the arc of the moral universe is long, it bends toward justice.”
Is the American experiment about to crumble as some espouse? I don’t believe so. I think our system is more resilient than that. But even if it did, that has no bearing whatsoever on the kingdom “that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28)!
Andrew Whitehead wrote, “If Christ is returning to make everything new, prejudiced or brutal political options become less rational, less necessary. If this election poses an existential threat, then we can more easily justify doing anything—including harming our neighbors, lying, stealing, or cheating—to avoid it. But if ultimate justice is promised by God, we have the freedom to seek provisional justice here on earth as faithfully as we can, without fearing that if we fail all is lost.” I would say that we have more than “freedom” but a mandate to seek that justice.
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In the midst of all this chaos, our options are not limited to apathy or apoplexy. We don’t have to hide our heads in the sand and just focus on nurturing our spiritual lives. We can and must co-labor with God in practical ways to advance his kingdom in its present form in light of its future consummation. And we mustn’t panic or succumb to rage over what we see unfolding before us. Jesus is coming back and will “make everything new!” (Revelation 21:5) He’ll remove everything counter to his will and replace is with the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven!
So, let’s live as though the end of kingdom history is already decided, and act accordingly. Let us avoid inaction, self-interest, panic, or rage, but lean into faith, hope, and love. And we know which of the three is greatest.
“He stops wars to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the war-wagons with fire. Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth. The Lord of All is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong place.” (Psalm 46:8-11 New Life Version)
