"Vote Biblically"...?

Reference: John Calvin, Institutes, 4.20.9

It’s election season.  Many of the homes in my neighborhood have campaign signs on their lawns.  This week I saw a new one.  It said, simply, “Vote biblically”. 

What does that mean?  How do you vote biblically?  How do you distill the commands and wisdom of the Bible down to a political platform that you can vote for?    

Jesus summarizes all the imperatives in the Bible in Matthew 22:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

John Calvin argues that the duty of any government is to uphold these two functions of God’s order for human life:

“The duty of magistrates, its nature, as described by the word of God…extends to both tables of the law [i.e., love for 1. God and 2. Other people]…” (4.20.9) 

In other words, governments that honor God do the following:

First, ensure the right of its citizens to worship God.

“…no polity can be successfully established unless piety be its first care, and that those laws are absurd which disregard the rights of God, and consult only for men…We have already shown that this office is specially assigned them by God, and indeed it is right that they exert themselves in asserting and defending the honour of him whose viceregents they are, and by whose favour they rule. Hence in Scripture holy kings are especially praised for restoring the worship of God when corrupted or overthrown, or for taking care that religion flourished under them in purity and safety.”

Second, protect the vulnerable and uphold the cause of justice.

“ In regard to the second table of the law, Jeremiah addresses rulers, ‘Thus saith the Lord, Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood’ (Jeremiah 22:3). To the same effect is the exhortation in the Psalm, ‘Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; rid them out of the hand of the wicked’ (Psalm 82:3,4).” 

God represents himself repeatedly as the ultimate restorer of justice – both civil justice and economic justice.  God’s objective is to restore the cosmos to their original, good state.  God imposes rules upon his people that ensure that everyone in their society – regardless of race, gender, physical ability or even merit – gets enough. 

So what does it mean to "vote biblically"?  Go to the Bible and see what God tells his people: Love me; love others.  Is there a party or politician whose policies and practices ensure the greatest good for the greatest number of people?  Not just people like you?  Vote not for self-interest, but the interests of a more just, equitable, safe world in which more people equate the name of Jesus with grace, peace, and provision.  That’s what a “biblical” people are all about.  

What About my Freedom?

One of the threads that runs deep in American culture is suspicion of government.  A common accusation is that the government is constantly impinging on our freedom.  Whether it’s demanding taxes that seem too high, or imposing such regulations as the pasteurization of everyone’s milk (imagine!), people in our culture are hyper-vigilant about government control.  The (not always) unspoken assumption is that we’d all be better off if the government left us alone.

Calvin’s conclusion is that a certain measure of government control is necessary.  Why?  Because left to our own devices, we pursue our own interests to the detriment of society as a whole.  There have to be communal checks and balances to protect us, and others, from our worst instincts.  Calvin says,

“Those who are desirous to introduce anarchy object that, though anciently kings and judges presided over a rude people, yet that, in the present day, that servile mode of governing does not at all accord with the perfection which Christ brought with his gospel. Herein they betray not only their ignorance, but their devilish pride, arrogating to themselves a perfection of which not even a hundredth part is seen in them.” (Institutes, 4.20.5)

Calvin adds that the apostles, Paul in particular, held this function of government in high esteem. 

“…there can be no doubt that he [Paul] is recommending every kind of just government. He speaks much more clearly when he comes to a proper discussion of the subject. For he says that ‘there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God;’ that rulers are the ministers of God, ‘not a terror to good works, but to the evil'...” (4.20.4)

He goes on to conclude,

“To this we may add the examples of saints, some of whom held the offices of kings, as David, Josiah, and Hezekiah; others of governors, as Joseph and Daniel; others of civil magistrates among a free people, as Moses, Joshua, and the Judges. Their functions were expressly approved by the Lord. Wherefore no man can doubt that civil authority is, in the sight of God, not only sacred and lawful, but the most sacred, and by far the most honourable, of all stations in mortal life.” (4.20.4)

When the apostles Peter and Paul discuss civil authority, they both encourage Christians to submit to it (1 Peter 2:13-25; Romans 13:1-7).  When you read these passages, bear in mind that the governments to which Peter and Paul refer were far more controlling and far less friendly to Christians than ours.  The apostles encourage submission to human authority because they believe it to be authority God has granted and ordained to serve God’s purposes.  Calvin sees in this a challenge for Christians to submit not just to human authority, but to God’s:

“In regard to those who are not debarred by all these passages of Scripture from presuming to inveigh against this sacred ministry, as if it were a thing abhorrent from religion and Christian piety, what else do they than assail God himself, who cannot but be insulted when his servants are disgraced? These men not only speak evil of dignities, but would not even have God to reign over them.” (4.20.7)

When we get indignant about a particular government, party, or politician, the question we have to ask ourselves is, “Why would God allow them to be in authority over me?  What is God doing through this authority figure?  And if this is God’s will for me, am I truly willing to submit to it?”  God is at work in all the circumstances of our life.  Are we willing to let God work through whatever agents he chooses?

Getting it Right

Sunday (as part of a message on 1 Peter 3:8-17) I referred to the Gainesville State School’s final football game of 2010.  For more on that story, check out the first video on Ann Voskamp’s post, “Why the crazy sacrifices are worth it…”, available here.

Two Extremes

Reference: Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.20.1

When it comes to politics, John Calvin argues that Christians are at risk of gravitating to one of two extremes.  He claims that his theological reflection on civil government is necessary because

“… on the one hand, frantic and barbarous men are furiously endeavouring to overturn the order established by God, and, on the other, the flatterers of princes, extolling their power without measure, hesitate not to oppose it to the government of God.”

In other words, we either assume that human government is inherently at odds with God’s will and therefore dismiss it; or we assume that a particular government is so aligned with God’s will that we can't see the ways the two may be at odds. 

Calvin points out the folly of Christians who believe that their primary loyalty to Christ excuses them from obligation to civil law.  Here Calvin echoes the Apostle Peter, who says,

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:16-17)

Calvin argues that a societal rule of law is essential to human life:

“But we shall have a fitter opportunity of speaking of the use of civil government. All we wish to be understood at present is, that it is perfect barbarism to think of exterminating it, its use among men being not less than that of bread and water, light and air, while its dignity is much more excellent.”

His point is that in a broken world in which people are naturally inclined toward disorder and self-interest, God ordains and blesses the implementation of structures that impose order.  Calvin goes so far as to say “that they [civil magistrates] are invested with divine authority”.  This is consistent with what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:13-25, as well as the words of Psalm 82, quoted by Jesus in John 10:34-35.  The basic gist of this scriptural argument is that all authority in heaven and earth belongs to God; therefore any authority wielded by a person is authority that God has, for the time, granted.

That does not mean that everyone who wields authority does it in a way that honors God.  Calvin cautions Christians never to mistake an earthly kingdom for the Kingdom of God:

“…it matters not what your condition is among men, nor under what laws you live, since in them the kingdom of Christ does not at all consist.” 

His words are intended as a comfort to those living under a government or culture that challenges the Christian faith.  They are also intended as a warning to those who believe their government will usher in the Kingdom of God.  This is a very important caution to Christians within our culture who believe that a particular political party will better serve the cause of the church.  Parties may endorse values such as moral restraint or social justice which are consistent with the Kingdom, but at the same time champion personal greed or the use of oppressive force to achieve its ends, which are at odds with the Kingdom.  Calvin says, simply, no human kingdom is or ever will be the Kingdom of God.  Don’t place hopes and expectations on your government that rightfully belong to God.  

Getting Political?

Passage: 1 Peter 2:13-25

Last week I preached the first of two messages on 1 Peter 2:13-3:7.  This is the passage in which Peter tells the church to submit.  In the first section, Peter tells all Christians to submit to every human authority.  He then goes so far as to tell slaves to submit to their masters.  If you’re interested in hearing my treatment of the passage, you can listen here.

Peter forces us to reflect on a topic we’re either too eager to avoid or too eager to engage: politics.  When we avoid politics, we use the excuse that the realms of church and politics should never overlap.  When we engage politics, we’re tempted to do so through the lens of our cultural biases.  Peter prohibits Christians from doing either.  We can’t withdraw from a world governed by human authorities.  But if we are to engage this world, we have to do so as citizens of heaven. 

John Calvin provides very timely insight in the last section of his Institutes of the Christian Religion.  For the next week or two I’ll give summaries of Calvin’s take on the intersection of the church and civil authority.  I’ll also provide links, in case you want to go directly to the source (highly recommended).  

Reclaimed

This past Sunday I referred to an artist named Vik Muniz, and his 2008 work with professional trash scavengers (or catadores) at Rio de Janeiro’s Jardim Gramacho.  At the time, Jardim Gramacho was the highest-volume landfill in the world, and was home to 13,000 people who scraped out a living salvaging recyclables.  Muniz went to Jardim Gramacho looking to meet these catadores and incorporate their stories into some kind of art installation.  His project is chronicled in the 2010 documentary Waste Land (it’s available through Netflix, and probably your local library and video store.  Watch it.  Seriously.).  At the beginning of the film, Muniz says, “What I do with my art is take people away from where they are and show them a different world; then give them a chance to look back at where they are differently.”  Muniz proceeds to explore a corner of the world that is home not only to the detritus of an enormous city but also to a community of discarded people.  Muniz asks these people their names.  He befriends them.  And he starts taking their pictures.  He goes on to stage photos modeled after famous masterpieces, with a group of catadores as his subjects.

After the photos have been taken, Muniz invites the subjects to join him at a warehouse, where he projects their photos onto the floor.  They bring in barrels full of materials they have scavenged from the landfill.  And they use the materials to outline and fill in their projected images.  The end results are warehouse-sized masterpieces rendered in trash.

And for the first time in their lives, the subjects of these masterpieces – the professional trashpickers – see themselves not as rejects but as objects of beauty. Muniz goes on to do much more with the images they’ve rendered, and opens frontiers for his subjects they wouldn’t have dreamed possible. 

What Muniz does at Jardim Gramacho is what God offers to do with each of us.  In 1 Peter 2:4-10, the Apostle talks about us as “living stones” – discarded building materials that become a masterpiece in the hands of the Creator.  At the end of the film, one of Muniz’s subjects says, “When I became a trash picker, I was so ashamed.  But then I met Vik.  And I became part of his art.  Now I’m not ashamed anymore.”  God seeks out those of us who are imperfect.  Or incomplete.  Who may have been marginalized or rejected.  And invites us to become part of his life-changing project of reclamation and redemption.