"Standing in the gap" through democratic means

[This is an exerpt from a book I'm writing on social justice in the Old Testament.]

Throughout history, Christians have been at the forefront of social issues, advocating on behalf of the weak and oppressed, and doing what they could to right wrongs through peaceful means. More often than not, these Christians worked for good against established authorities and powers, just as the Old Testament prophets often stood against the rich and powerful on behalf of the poor and weak. In the New Testament, James provides one of the earliest examples of Christian advocacy of social justice. Citing the Law of Moses, James launches into a prophetic condemnation, typical of Old Testament prophets, of entrenched interests who exploit the working poor:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.[1]

This type of strident advocacy was sure to upset comfortable people who probably otherwise would have given little thought to their unjust business practices. Several centuries later, John Chrysostom, the famous preacher and bishop of Constantinople, used his pulpit to warn against the excesses of the rich and powerful in that capital city. Speaking on Jesus’ parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46, Chrysostom delivered a lyrically beautiful, but terrible message to the elite of the empire:

You eat in excess; Christ eats not even what he needs. You eat a variety of cakes; he eats not even a piece of dried bread. You drink fine Thracian wine; but on him you have not bestowed so much as a cup of cold water. You lie on a soft and embroidered bed; but he is perishing in the cold … You live in luxury on things that properly belong to him … At the moment, you have taken possession of the resources that belong to Christ and you consume them aimlessly. Don't you realize that you are going to be held accountable?[2]

John Chrysostom confronting Empress Aelia Eudoxia, a painting by Jean-Paul Laurens (1880s).

In speaking up for people who lived on the margins of society, Chrysostom earned the wrath of Empress Eudoxia. Unwilling to blunt his message, Chrysostom was soon banished to the Caucasus where he died from the rigors of travel and climate. Christians who disrupt the norm by speaking out against injustice can expect the same type of critical response today. While leading non-violent protests against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was publically denounced by several Christian ministers who characterized his actions as too radical and disruptive.[3] In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Dr. King responded, explaining the need for strident but peaceful advocacy on the part of Christians.

There was a time when the church was very powerful. It was during that period when the early Christians rejoiced when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. … They brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial combat.[4]

Writing from his jail cell, Dr. King argued that Christians must not stand by idly as witnesses to injustice. Besides civil disobedience, Dr. King relied on democratic means to effect change. Quoting Micah 6:8 in a later speech, he urged civil rights protesters to vote for God-fearing government representatives for the overall good of society.

Let us march on ballot boxes until we send to our city councils, state legislatures, and the United States Congress men who will not fear to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. Let us march on ballot boxes until all over Alabama God’s children will be able to walk the earth in decency and honor.[5]

Dr. King’s sentiment is the same as the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy and the church at Ephesus:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.[6]

Although Paul wrote at a time when Christians did not have the right to vote for their leaders, Christians living in democracies today can apply this advice to themselves first by praying for their elected government officials, but then also by praying for God to help the electorate decide who to vote into office and what policies to support or oppose. The renowned New Testament scholar C.E.B. Cranfield writes that Christians today can find guidance for their democratic responsibilities in verses such as 1 Timothy 2:1-4 quoted above, even though the historical context is much different than the situation for many believers today. Commenting on Romans 13:1-5, Cranfield writes:

The proper exposition of Paul’s words involves for the Christian living in a democracy the translation of them into the terms of a different political order. Such a Christian can, and therefore must, do much more for the maintenance of the state as a just state. His “subjection” will include voting in parliamentary elections responsibly, in the fear of Christ and in love to his neighbor, and, since such responsible voting is only possible on the basis of adequate knowledge, making sure that he is as fully and reliably informed as possible about political issues, and striving tirelessly in the ways constitutionally open to him to support just policies and to oppose unjust.[7]

Expounding on 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Cranfield notes that “the purpose of civil government and of the state in God’s intention is a purpose of mercy toward men,” specifically individual men, women, and children for whom Jesus died. [8] This scope of this mercy is not limited to a single country, but extends throughout the entire world. In each person in need of assistance, Jesus is present to be either honored or neglected. The realization that the government exists for the sake of precious people should cause the Christian to soberly consider his or her democratic responsibility. Measuring policies and legislation against God’s merciful purposes in government, Christians will remember that “persons are infinitely more precious than property.” In practical terms, this means the Christian voter will not limit his or her concerns to the local sphere, but will side with generous and unselfish policies that look to alleviate global hunger or ensure the personal liberty and dignity of those without a voice—“the underprivileged, the misfits, and the lame dogs of society,” as Cranfield puts it. And, while not a pacifist, in times of war the Christian will never forget that even the lives of the enemy are precious to God.

Social justice advocacy is not a replacement for the gospel of Christ. Certainly, Christians must transform society by promulgating the gospel of Jesus Christ, which leads to an inner change in people that is incomparably more effective than outward coercion. Yet, once the inward change takes place, spiritually reborn people will then become God’s representatives in society, speaking and working on His behalf. They have the same anointing, or divine authority, of Jesus, who came to preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, release from darkness for the prisoners, and proclaim a day of vengeance for God against both spiritual and physical oppression.[9] Christians’ reborn nature compels them to take action for a more just society, the Bible guides them, and the Holy Spirit empowers them to do so.

[This post is an excerpt of my work-in-progress book on social justice in the Old Testament. Feedback is welcome! More on Learning to Do Right.] 

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[1] James 5:1-6, where James echoes the law in Deuteronomy 24:14-15, “Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”

[2] On Matthew, Homily 48:8

[3] The U.S. Civil Rights movement led by Christians such as Dr. King may provide an example where the advocacy against injustice may have averted divine retribution. Although it is true that the movement stirred violence resulting in deaths, including that of Dr. King himself, it could be argued that the success of the civil rights movement avoided greater bloodshed and societal disruption. Had the Civil Rights Bill, Voting Rights Bill, and Fair Housing Act never passed into legislation, can anyone doubt the severe societal repercussions that would have followed?

[4] Martin Luther King Jr., April 1963, Letter From a Birmingham Jail

[5] Martin Luther King, Jr., March 1965, Our God Is Marching On!

[6] 1 Timothy 2:1-4

[7] C.E.B. Cranfield, Romans: A Shorter Commentary, p. 321

[8] This paragraph and the following quote drawn from Cranfield’s essay, “The Christian’s Political Responsibility According to the New Testament,” first published in Scottish Journal of Theology 15, (1962), pp. 176-192.

[9] Luke 4:16-21