» I’ve wrestled continually over the last 10 months with how to understand the place of a Christian in society, or the material world entire. Maybe the wrestling is itself the point, but I worry that to say that is too indefinite, that it undermines the notion of actual, ultimate destinations at which we must arrive, that there are no absolutes, only approximations. Better if we come to conclusions on where to stand in the midst of all this, even if in the end we must be corrected by the Lord or one another.
» “Where to stand” was on my mind as I was reading Acts 26, when Paul is being held in Caesarea by Festus, the Roman governor. Agrippa, the Jewish king at that time, comes down to interview him. In purely material terms (and legal and political), all power and control belong to Festus and Agrippa. They have Paul in chains and can do with him as they wish. But there are other layers here. Does Paul have power in that moment? How much and what kind? Does God?
» You may remember that in the middle of his interview, which is really an apologetic for faith in Christ, Agrippa says to Paul, “do you think in so short a time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Paul famously answers, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Not long after that Paul sails for Rome (he has appealed to Caesar) where he is imprisoned, yet remains free to proclaim Christ “with all boldness and without hindrance.” Soon thereafter (AD64?) several extra-biblical sources indicate Paul was decapitated by Nero.
» Though all the appearance of power belonged to Festus, Agrippa, and Nero, all the fact of it belonged to Paul. The man in chains, the man subject to the whims of those in authority, the man beheaded at a word from an emperor — that man, in Christ, changed his world and all of western civilization; that man continues to shape the lives of millions; that man has been in print for 2,000 years and is studied more than any other man or woman in history; that man is now crowned in Glory and reigns over angels.
» To know where to stand in this world you have to decide what kind of power you want. Do you want the ability to impose your will on those around you, to control the narrative, the power to do as you please, freedom from pain, the satisfaction of your felt needs, the stroking of your ego? Or do you want to bear faithful witness to Christ regardless of personal circumstances and cost, leaving a legacy that will grow even as your body decays in the grave and your soul beholds the face of God?
» Most Christians in the west are hoping they can have it both ways. They can’t. Joshua knew this when he said, “choose this day whom you will serve.” Samuel knew it as he watched Saul seek both the praise of the people and of God. Elijah knew it when he said, “how long will you waver between two opinions?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew it when they said to Nebuchadnezzar “we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Jesus knew it when he said that serving him meant denying ourselves.
» Start the year with a clear head. We are here to bear fruit in faithful witness. The context for bearing that witness doesn’t matter. Yes, if you have the opportunity to improve the context of your life and the lives of others around you then you should do so. That change may be cultural, economic, or political. But don’t lose sight of the mission. Even if our context turns from bad to evil, our mission is unchanged. Praise God.