A few more comments on 1 Peter to 2:13-17 For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by hi to punish those who do wrong and to raise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. I may have this all wrong, but the thing that caught my eye at the end of these verses on how to deal with the 'authorities' was the use of Honor. We are to honor everyone and the emperor. It is quite like what you would expect in any society. We honor the lives of others. We do not ride over them and abuse them and tear them down. We honor them. They are not us - and - we are not them. In some ways I think of the President of the U.S. It is easy to moan and groan at who that person is and what that person does, but that is a heavy position to fill. Yes, some people are in that position and do not seem to be worthy of it. And yet, we honor them. In some ways it is as though we are hoping for the best - and the best would be the best for everyone. I suppose the same would be for everyone. Honor our neighbors and we may just see the best come out of them. And yet, when it comes to God, we pause. We consider the vision of God's Reign and how we are now people who claim to be within the living manifestation of that Reign - we Stand in awe (fear) of the expansiveness of this Reign and the qualities that far surpass anything of any power in the world. In some ways, I think we become better citizens when we understand the vision of God's Reign and that we (including the emperor) fall short and yet we are all invited into God's Reigning power within the day to day life around us. Connection: Knowing the vision of the Reign of God will and does put us in direct opposition to much of the ways of the powers of this world. Walking in that vision will mean that we will walk in a way contrary to the powers that be - and yet, we honor the role they play even when then will reject our ways - sometimes at great cost to us. I really don't think it is our work to turn a power of the world into us. We are meant to be a witness to another way of life. In the middle of what is so common, O God, give us eyes to see you Reigning ways even as we live within the rule of all the powers around us. Keep our hearts turned to your way alone. Amen. |
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