Wars rage across the globe. Civil unrest is the norm, and some large nations are facing the possibility of civil war. In America, a full-scale war between the “Left” and the “Right” is tearing the country apart. In Europe, the Ukrainian crisis is reaching a critical mass that could very well spark a nuclear war.
Media certainly isn’t helping matters. Using emotion, mixed with some facts, today’s “journalism” is geared specifically for a target audience. While polls show trust in media at an all-time low, people still flock to the media of their choice. People hate the media except for the media they like.
"There's another option and it is far more enlightening, adventurous, and peaceful."
In all of this, Christians are prodded and pulled to choose sides. We are told to either align with the Left, the Right, or some other political view somewhere in the middle. The Right and Left call each other evil. Discovering the teachings of Christ have given way to choosing between being conservative or liberal. It has created a great deal of frustration between Christians who see evil on both sides. Whatever side they choose, they are stuck with the baggage of that political view. And the bags are monstrously heavy.
What if we are not called to choose any of those sides?
As a follower of Jesus, we do not have to choose any of the sides given to us by the world. There’s another option and it is far more enlightening, adventurous, and peaceful. Let Paul explain it:
“And you must endure evils as a good soldier of Yeshua, The Anointed One. No man serving as a soldier is entangled in the matters of this world so that he might please him who selected him.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
That’s a tall order for a young man trying to find his way in a politically charged world. He certainly had his share of options. The Romans were not the nicest guys on the block and often treated their captured colonies cruelly. While Timothy’s half-Greek background may have saved him some grief, his conversion to Christianity most likely wasn’t appreciated by the Romans or his countrymen. The discussion at most “coffee shops” of his day undoubtedly contained some lively talk on what needs to be done to “fix the world.”
Today’s Christians are caught up in the same issues and left in a dichotomy: “How should a follower of Jesus react to wars, power struggles, hatred, etc.?” Do we ignore it? Or do we take a stand? If so, how? Do we fully throttle into handling these worldwide issues? Is there an “In-between?” And once we answer those questions, how do define “evil” in a way which non-Christians would agree and accept?”
Paul’s answer seems ambiguous, and even shocking. He told Timothy not to be concerned with the issues he sees taking place in the world, a place filled with genocide, coliseum executions, atrocities, and evil which often publicly rivaled much of the evil we see in today’s world. But Paul doesn’t leave Timothy at the crossroads. Instead, he points him in a different direction; the way of the Spirit, a world apart from the limited (and nearly always fatal) sides the world offers.
This is a world where everything makes more sense. It’s the explanation of why mankind acts the way it does and the revelation of the eternal warfare taking place on earth. But explanations without direction do not mean much. Paul’s direction to Timothy is to focus on the spiritual paths and “enlightenment.” It is the foundational principle for every decision, thought, and action taken by a Christian. Understanding the pattern and strategy of all conflict and evil is essential in how we see the world differently from the other “sides.”
Jesus made choosing sides in worldly battles a lesser focus of the spiritual life. Simon, one of the chosen twelve, was also known as Simon the Zealot. There is some dispute on the meaning of his name, but most believe he was a member of the nationalistic Jewish movement of his day; an organization designed to overthrow the Roman government in Judea through whatever means necessary including assassination. Jesus took Simon into the fold emphasizing the focus of his existence was to develop spiritual fruit and live the spiritual life. Political zeal was not in Jesus’ vocabulary.
Throughout his teaching and example, we do not see Jesus standing against political issues. I’ve yet to find him becoming a “social justice warrior” for either the Right or the Left of his day. Instead, he forced people to question the internal living as he does us to examine our spiritual foundation. We do see him standing against the religious leaders of the day, who were in many ways, political leaders. Yet, his point was to show that as spiritual leaders, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others, were hypocritical not living up to their purpose: developing a spiritual mindset among the people.
Jesus said we would always have the poor with us, we will have wars and hear rumors of wars. Even his encounters with the Judean conquerors were spiritual lessons. The Roman centurion came to him in faith. Jesus certainly knew the violence and warrior mentality of the Romans, not to mention a centurion who was the poster child for Roman toughness. Instead, Jesus uses him as an example of faith. He forces us to look inward at the reasons for our belief system.
I admit there are no easy answers to how a Christian should respond to wars, violence, and corruption. Do we simply let evil continue to walk over the innocent? Do we simply ignore the poor because they will always be with us? What I do know is many Christians are more concentrated on wars and who will win the eventual power struggle than they are in developing an eternal and spiritual mindset.
I’m left with the conclusion that instead of taking a side in world affairs, our responsibility as followers of Jesus should first and foremost be to stop and look inward, speak, and listen to our Father for guidance, and let the Spirit reveal those areas where we can make a difference.
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