I hate clickbait headlines.
Yet, because of the way Christians are arguing with one another, I feel this one is necessary. All over the online space, people are happy to tell you what the Christian view of current events are. They will tell you (not entirely wrongly) that God give authority to government to enforce laws. "He does not carry the sword without reason. He is God's servant to bring wrath on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:8). If they are being careful, they may even add that God will be the one who holds our leaders accountable for how they use or abuse their authority, and therefore the Christian submits to the authorities with only one exception: when the authority compels the Christian to disobey God.
With equal Christian authority, others will speak of love and compassion. "Dear children, let us love not only with word or with tongue, but in action and in truth" (1 John 318). "If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar. For how can anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, love God, whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:1). Jesus says, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). His parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us to see everyone we meet as our neighbor. The life of Godly wisdom involves this: Speak up for those who cannot speak. Speak for the rights of all those who are defenseless. Speak up, judge fairly, and defend the oppressed and the needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9) The number of places God commands his people to care for the foreigner, the fatherless, the widow, and the afflicted are too many to recount. So, while there may be some nuance and disagreement on public policy, God leaves no ambiguity for how Christians are to treat all people they meet.
So, how are Christians supposed to respond to our current political climate? How should we react when we see and hear stories that break our hearts? How do we balance the good of government enforcing laws and maintaining order with our compassionate desire to love all other human beings as those created in God's image and redeemed by Christ?
For all I see people saying how Christians ought to react or what opinions on policies Christians must support, I have yet to see anyone observe this. Jesus talked about Renee Good. That's only a slight overstatement. In Luke 13, people came to Jesus for comment on current events. Jesus was asked about those who died because of the brutal force of their governor. This is how Jesus responded:
At that time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all perish too.
We don't know the exact situation described. We don't know if the Galileans Pilate killed were trouble makers or innocent bystanders, who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We don't know if Pilate felt his actions were justified to maintain order or completely unjust. Some Galileans were offering sacrifices in the temple when Pilate sent his soldiers in. Some of those Galileans died, others did not. What did it all mean?
Jesus himself was a Galilean. So, it is possible that some expected Jesus to condemn Pilate's cruel cowardly murder. Many wanted the Messiah to change society and establish the throne of David in Jerusalem, free from Roman oppression. This could be the event that set their goal in motion. But Jesus doesn't condemn Pilate. He doesn't comment on Roman tactics and brutality. He doesn't demand justice for his countrymen.
It seems that many of those who came to Jesus had decided that those Galileans must have deserved it. Nothing happens without reason. They must have been terrible sinners. God rejected their sacrifices and repaid them with death by the Roman sword. Maybe some felt that they had acted foolishly, provoked the Romans. To use the modern phrase, play stupid games win stupid prizes. But Jesus asks, "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffer these things? I tell you, no."
A tragedy happened, a tragedy completely caused by human sin. People were talking about it. They were trying to decide what they were supposed to think about these events. In our days of constant news, we are constantly trying to figure this out. Some event happens. A tragedy takes place and everyone wants to tell you how you are supposed to feel about it. They want to use these events to recruit you to their side. They hope they can recruit Jesus to their side. Jesus refuses. Jesus doesn't comment. He says, "Unless you repent, you will all perish too."
Dear Christians, before you post any meme or reel or opinion piece saying how a Christian should feel about this or that event, why don't you listen to what Jesus actually tells you to do first? Repent.
You who celebrate brutality or seek to use the law as an excuse to look past the humanity of the suffering, repent. You who broadcast the crimes of others so that you can declare yourself to be righteous, repent.
You who use compassion as an excuse for lawless disorder, repent. You who justify hatred of one group by declaring your love for another, repent. You who in word and deed encourage others to disobey the authorities God has instituted, repent.
We, we who share biased information, hoping to bolster our side while ignoring or distorting facts that make us uncomfortable, repent. We, who care so much about what is happening over there, but spend so little time caring for those in need right here, repent. We, who let ourselves be consumed with fear and anger and rage or tell others they should feel the same, repent. We who are so quick to stand in judgment over anyone else, their thoughts and opinions, repent. Every tragedy, every injustice, every evil and disaster is our reminder that this life is temporary. This world is passing away. Whatever sin still afflicts you, however great or small, now is your time to repent. Turn from your sin. Turn to your Savior in faith.
Moments before Jesus spoke these words, he had rebuked the crowds because "you do not know how to interpret this present time" (Luke 12:56). Christians, we continue to fall into the same trap. We look for signs of the times. We want to be on "the right side of history", but we fail to actually listen to Jesus. He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." He said, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door." When we see evil things happening in this world, and we WILL see evil happening, as long as sin endures, so will suffering on this earth, that is not our opportunity to prove our righteousness. Jesus says, that is our time to repent.
This is not the only time we get to see how Jesus reacted to injustice. In his lifetime, Jesus saw injustice happen within his own family. His own cousin, the forerunner, John the Baptist was unjustly imprisoned for the great crime of calling the king to repentance. Jesus heard the news and began preaching throughout Galilee, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” When John was unjustly beheaded, we know how reacted to his sorrow and loss. He withdrew to be with those closest to him, but then he met the crowds and cared for them. He continued to preach, "The kingdom of heaven is near."
I, as a pastor, do not generally comment on the events of the day. No one needs to know what I think about today’s news or how I think our nations problems should be solved. I have different calling. The kingdom of heaven is near. Your Savior, Jesus, has defeated all evil when he carried sin to the cross and rose victorious from the grave. Christians will not, therefore, be tossed to and frow by every world event, but fix our eyes on him and pray, "Good Lord, deliver us!" Then, trusting in God’s tender care serve the people around you in love. Dear Christians, this is how Jesus has told us to react to tragic events. Anyone who puts other words in his mouth may have their own agenda (it may even be a noble agenda), but they do not speak for him.
To God Alone be the Glory.