Dependence Day
The Supreme Court of the United States recently made an unbelievable decision. It’s hard to believe because, for nearly 50 years, it seemed impossible that the high court would overturn Roe v. Wade, a reference to the case leading to a determination that women had a constitutional right to abort their unborn children. It was something we Christians rightly saw as an attack on human life and personhood as created by God.
The year I entered college, “a woman’s right to choose” became a reality we fought to overturn. It was an effort that many Christians made a central theme of their work and energies. In many creative ways, dedicated workers helped women, saved lives, and educated people about the blight of abortion. As a result, advocates of abortion came to see Christians and Christianity as the enemy.
Proponents of Roe v. Wade made the abortion issue political and told believers they should keep their faith out of politics, “Keep your faith to yourselves!” they shouted. In other words, abortion was none of our business. At the same time, although they agreed abortion violated biblical principles, many believers felt we shouldn’t get publicly involved because we should stay out of politics. “Keep politics out of the church!” they exclaimed. But as we saw in the recent SCOTUS decision, Christians getting political and much prayer can ultimately make a difference in issues important to God.
To read our history books today, you might not catch the connection between Christianity and the highly political issue of something like the abolition of slavery. However, you get a feel for the political-versus-faith battle that raged over slavery when you go “across the pond” to the real roots of our struggle against slavery, which took place in England.
Having been elected to Parliament in 1780, William Wilberforce came to Christ in 1785 through the influence of John Newton. Newton (who wrote “Amazing Grace”) was a former slave trader who became a clergyman in the Church of England. Newton urged Wilberforce to use his position in Parliament to fight against slavery. It was his faith that led him to do so. It took 20 years, and his critics sounded no different than those we hear today. Lord Melbourne complained, “Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade public life.” It sounds a lot like, “Keep your faith to yourself!”
Many today consider any public expression of our faith an invasion of public life. Yet, if you look at old sermons from the 18th and 19th centuries in our country, you’ll find that pastors freely engaged the pulpit in so-called political issues and “called out” public figures by name! They believed that, as salt, they had a responsibility to preserve truth. As light, they had to expose the deeds of darkness no matter where they may be found. So we too are to be salt and light.
In the hefty two-volume set called Political Sermons of the American Founding Era: 1730–1805, edited by Ellis Sandoz, one can see that the New England preachers profoundly influenced the early American culture and political issues. So, for example, how’s this for a sermon title: Civil Magistrates Must Be Just, Ruling in the Fear of God [1747]?
Speaking truth to and about power is something Paul was not afraid to do. Jesus certainly did not shy away from it. That’s all God calls us to do. His is the true power, and unless we are willing to be representatives of that power, we become representatives of weakness by default.
As we celebrate Independence Day, let’s remember that our founders did not envision independence from God but independence under God and dependence upon God. To the degree that so-called political issues impact our country’s spiritual health and morality, we are compelled to be salt and light, making a difference for Christ. On problems with a clear biblical perspective, pastors have the right and the duty to tell Christians how they should vote. Whether from the pulpit or in personal interaction, Christians must be God’s voice, unafraid to speak up, even when it’s something from the political realm.
“He is the head over all rule and authority” ─Colossians 2:10