Just when we hoped it would all be over, the US election is set to drag out for days, if not weeks. The only thing that is clear is how divided America is. We no longer argue on policy; we simply declare our opponents to be wrong, or worse, evil.
For example, social conservatives (e.g. the Republican Party) often argue that progressive are immoral, due to their ethics on sex, marriage and abortion. Social progressives (e.g. the Democratic Party) often argue that conservatives are evil, due to their lack of care for the environment, minority groups and the poor. What are Christians to make of all this. Who is right?
In Jeremiah chapter 7, the prophet rebukes the people of Israel for their religious hypocrisy. While Israel LOOKS the part, in their temple worship, there is an inner decay in the people’s hearts. The people presumed God would keep them ‘safe’ (v. 10) from attack, even though they flagrantly disobeyed his word. Jeremiah says they were disobeying God in 2 ways:
One was through a lack of social justice. In v. 5-6 Yahweh commands his people to ‘deal justly’ with each other, and care for the needs of asylum seekers, the fatherless and the widow. This is a rebuke to many social conservatives, who rarely lift a finger to help the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed.
The second was through a lack of morality. V. 9 speaks about greed (stealing), hatred (murder), sexual immorality (adultery) and lying (perjury). This is a rebuke to many social progressives, who think being true to oneself is more important than obedience to God’s commands.
So in the end, both sides of politics are right; yet both sides are also deeply wrong. The Bible is neither conservative nor progressive. It is something completely different. Christians are to transcend the modern social divide, and obey God in all areas.
