Can you see any of the 2008 presidential candidates saying anything like the following?
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war, is much worse.... A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
--John Stuart Mill, circa 1862
And while it is far too easy for us Christians to cluck our tongues at the sorry state of our political system (and our politicians), I have to wonder how many of us have ever prayed anything like the following?
Lay not to our account every sin of Thy servants and Thine handmaids,
but cleanse us with the cleansing of Thy truth, and guide our steps
to walk in holiness and righteousness and singleness of heart
and to do such things as are good and well pleasing in Thy sight
and in the sight of our rulers.
Yea, Lord, make Thy face to shine upon us in peace for our good,
that we may be sheltered by Thy mighty hand and delivered from
every sin by Thine uplifted arm. And deliver us from them that
hate us wrongfully.
Give concord and peace to us and to all that dwell on the earth, as
Thou gavest to our fathers, when they called on Thee in faith
and truth with holiness, [that we may be saved,] while we render
obedience to Thine almighty and most excellent Name, and to our
rulers and governors upon the earth.
Thou, Lord and Master, hast given them the power of sovereignty
through Thine excellent and unspeakable might, that we knowing the
glory and honor which Thou hast given them may submit ourselves unto
them, in nothing resisting Thy will. Grant unto them therefore, O
Lord, health peace, concord, stability, that they may administer the
government which Thou hast given them without failure.
For Thou, O heavenly Master, King of the ages, givest to the sons of
men glory and honor and power over all things that are upon the
earth. Do Thou, Lord, direct their counsel according to that which
is good and well pleasing in Thy sight, that, administering in peace
and gentleness with Godliness the power which Thou hast given them,
they may obtain Thy favor.
-- Clement of Rome, First Epistle, lx.2 to lxi.2, circa A.D. 100, written during a time of intense persecution of Christians
I came across the above quote from Clement of Rome while reading John MacArthur's excellent book, "Why Government Can't Save You: An Alternative to Political Activism." If you're interested in a completely different view about how Christians should view politics (and one that I found to be much more Biblical than what we hear from most Christians today), I highly recommend taking an evening and reading his book:
wink, wink) have trouble getting out of bed in the morning? Well, here's the perfect antidote:
