No politician or policy will bring the peace we yearn for most
By Dean Collins
“If we could just find something or someone to bring us together then we could have some peace.” Every political season those running for office promise how they will finally get things fixed. And the truth is that no matter who is in office or how long they are in office, there will still be a lot of broken stuff. No matter who is elected and how long they serve, they will start with broken systems and end with broken systems. They may fix some things for a season, but they can’t make everything right. But as bad as politics might be, neither politics nor even politicians created the brokenness. We are the problem.
Imperfect people
Here’s the thing about all of us. We are flawed. As much as we try to educate ourselves, prove ourselves, and improve ourselves, we have this stubborn sin problem. We simply aren’t perfect. In fact, we are far from it. We each have a selfish side. Oh, we might try to hide it or explain it away. However, our focus on self and comfort makes it difficult for us to work for real solutions that help our brother or sister in need.
There’s no question some people are better than others as fixers and leaders. Even in a world filled with imperfect people, we’ve made some progress. We’ve invented unbelievable gadgets and systems that improve health, communication, travel, and commerce and provide all kinds of entertainment. But none of our innovations have reconciled us. We still live alienated and divided in almost every possible place. While there has been progress, we still have inequities all around us. Justice issues remain in nearly every important category including race, gender, healthcare, education, income, and more.
How will we ever reconcile our differences? While government policy can and does help in significant ways, it can never solve the problem, because the problem isn’t simply a legislative issue. A good policy won’t actually change a human heart. Our problem is spiritual in nature. Alienation from God results in the alienation of his prized and treasured creation.
Only Jesus
We are right to think that if we can just find someone to bring us together, then we can make progress. A leader with a heart for all people is certainly better than a leader with a heart for some people. As I read Paul’s letter to believers in Rome it seems to me Paul is making this very point. The Pax Romana was known to be a time of relative peace and stability. Paul’s letter would have been written and delivered during this season. I think most who lived in Rome at the time would have said that this Roman Peace was particularly equitable or peaceful. But wealthy people enjoyed advantages while a bigger population lived in poverty. Debauchery was prevalent. And both Jewish and Christian believers experienced persecution.
While Paul urged that Christians submit to the legitimate authority of government, I think a careful reading of this epistle shows that only Jesus can save, reconcile, and bring peace and justice to the world. Nationalism cannot do what Jesus can.
The first four chapters of Romans establish both the condition of the creation’s brokenness and the pathway to restoration of all things. As chapter 5 opens, Paul says we have been justified by faith and we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And because of this peace with God, we can have hope and not just a teaspoonful. We can have hope that triumphs over shame. And peace with God gives us the capacity to endure whatever the world has to offer.
New day
So should we as believers advocate for better policy? Of course. Should we try to correct systems that are unjust? Absolutely. But the most impactful thing we can do to actually fix the problems of this world is best accomplished when we share the good news of Jesus, live the good news of Jesus, and make disciples who will do the same.
Then we will truly see a new day Martin Luther King Jr imagined when he said, “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” And when justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream, we will know that a lot of people chose to follow Jesus first and political figures second. In that moment we will also see not only racial tensions subside, but we will see renewal and restoration of every broken system.
We should stand in awe that the Son of God came and gave his life to reconcile you and me. In response to his great love, we are compelled to love others and share the truth that will not only set them free from the bondage of sin but will also speed the day when the Kingdom of God will be fully restored, that great day when Jesus will return in glory.
Your time with God’s Word
Romans 5:1-11 ESV
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Photos by Aimee Vogelsang and Joshua Earle on Unsplash
