Positions for Healing Grace in an Election Year #5

#1 – we are Christians before anything, before any political party or political ideology.

#2 – we get our direction and values from God and His Word.

#3 – we view people and life with the same value that God does – every person shares his image, is loved by God, He wants them all to be saved.

#4 - we submit to our governing authorities regardless of their stances, worldview or morality, because we submit to God’s rule and His appointments of leadership.

#5 – we not only submit to our governing authorities, but we also honor and respect them.

Paul’s words in Romans 13 “Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect (fear) and honor (deference) to those who are in authority.”

In 2021 during the Tour De France a young woman decided she wanted the cameras to see her and her sign, so she got right up on the edge of the road, where there are signs that say “keep clear” and with her back to the racers, she caused an accident that took out the entire peloton – the main group of riders that are all in a pack or “ball.” Riders were hurt, bikes were destroyed and the outcome of the race was changed because someone decided that those “rules” don’t apply to me. Somehow she thought "I don’t have to respect the authority that put the “keep clear” signs there." But listen to what Peter wrote:

I Peter 2:16-17 “For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect (give value to, same word Paul uses) the king.”

Peter had seen the abuse of power with Pilate and the crucifixion of Jesus. He saw the abuse of power with Herod and the death of his friend and fellow disciple James. He had been arrested and beaten by the Jewish authorities. He was arrested by Herod who intended to kill Peter. Peter would die at the order of the Roman emperor Nero in 64 CE and he wrote 1 Peter within a year before his death. Peter was one of the ones who said “We must obey God rather than men.” But in this verse he said “honor and respect the King.”

We don’t respect authority anymore because we don’t listen to God and we don’t know the Word. In the 60’s Timothy Leary said “Question authority” although it seems that idea goes back to Benjamin Franklin and even further back to Socrates. So much of our political outrage over authority is an excuse for personal evil. The January 6th "Revolt" – for those who consider themselves conservative - Patriotism was a cover up for personal evil. But for the liberal, activism may also be a cover up for personal evil – like the police free zones in Portland or Seattle after the death of George Floyd and subsequent riots. How much of the riots were simply attempts to cause confusion and anarchy or to simply steal or cause destruction?

So what does it mean to respect and honor authority? It means you can disagree with policy, but never denigrate or dehumanize the leader. That is what political parties do, but we are Christian, not governed by party platforms or ideological opinions. We obey and honor God, so we obey and honor the leaders that God has placed over us regardless of our differing opinions.