Daily Devotions

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval; for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” Romans 13:1-7

The first time I remember becoming politically active was in grade school.  One day, during recess, some of the kids started shouting (I have no idea who started it but I do know it wasn’t me…that time), “Humphrey, Humphrey, he’s our man.  Nixon belongs in the garbage can.”  While still others were shouting, “Nixon, Nixon, he’s our man.  Humphrey belongs in the garbage can.”  I knew we were having fun doing it, I had no idea we were actually creating something that would one day be known as cable news.

I frankly don’t remember which side I shouted for.  I would like to think I picked the man based on deep grade school quality political analysis but I probably just cheered for whomever Diane Manning was cheering for.  But I do remember what happened when our teacher lined us up at the door to go back to our classroom.  She wasn’t happy.

She brought us into the classroom and she scolded us for being disrespectful.  She told us that both of them were honorable men who had been selected to run for president by many people.  Once the election was over, one of them would be our president.  She was, not that I knew it at the time, teaching us something called “civility.”  She was also teaching us about patriotism and the limits of loyalty.

I got home and later that night told my Mom about what happened.  It wasn’t so much about Mrs. Bauch’s lesson in politics I wanted to share but a completely different question.  I told her about the chant we had been yelling and then I asked her whose side I should have been on, Humphrey’s or Nixon’s.  She, in no uncertain terms, told me.

It has been quite a week in Washington.  Now 2009 stretches before us and the gears of government will resume their churning.  After thinking about these things this week, reading the things people have sent back to me, watching the commentators on television, listening to the radio, all I have left to add as we head into the weekend is this – remember that the kids are listening.

Remember that the kids are listening.

They don’t learn civic virtue in civics class, they learn when the adults in their lives show their hearts.  They learn when they overhear adults talking about things they say when they think the kids aren’t listening.  How will kids ever be encouraged to make a positive difference if they never hear their political leaders or the political process being talked about in a respectful manner?  How will they learn to look and think more deeply than sound bites if that isn’t modeled and taught?

Although there was clearly much to criticize about the Roman empire, Paul wrote that Christians ought to recognize not only their place in it, but also God’s use of even the most ungodly of regimes for the benefit of the wider community.

Let us pray:  Once again, dear Lord, we thank you for the gift of government and the leadership structures which keep us free by helping us organize our common life in ways that help us live together.  We do pray for those in authority and ask that you bless their work.  Enable us all to do our part.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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