A Blog for the Church

I’m adamantly convinced of it.  The Church can beat the government.  I’m convinced that the power of the Holy Spirit is more powerful than the democratic process.

Now before someone gets all Romans 13 on me, hear me out.  I’m not at all talking about whether Christians should submit to governing authorities.  I’m talking about Census 2010.

Don't let the mean look fool you. I'm here to help!

That’s right, folks.  This month Uncle Sam is sending out forms to all of us with just 10 questions on them that will help him to do all kinds of things, I’m sure.  One of the ways they’re billing this decade’s census, which is really brilliant, is how much the census is going to help us.  On the website, they use phrases like, “to advocate for causes,” “research markets,” “locate pools of skilled workers,” “better infrastructure,” “more services,” “a brighter tomorrow.”

Makes you want to do the census, doesn’t it?

The problem with the fact that the government collects this information and then allocates funds to help deal with some of the challenges is that it lets us off the hook…and everyone loses.

One of the problems with the Church is that we are often too willing to let the government do our job for us.  So in the case of the census, we might be willing to let the government get to know our neighbors and communities for us, dispense some funds to help deal with whatever problems we might currently have, and deal with other matters that come up or that we might care about.

But I confess that to do this would be to concede defeat altogether.

The Church can do better.  Here’s how:

Personal Relationships

The key question is: does the government care about us?  Sure, maybe.  They might care about whether I’m getting adequate food, or if I’m in trouble, someone will come help me, but is that really what we mean by “care?”  Is that all we need? I don’t think so.  I think every one of us wants more than to have our physical needs met, but to have somebody care about who we are: what we think, what we’re afraid of, what we’re passionate about, etc.  And we want to know that, in the midst of our thoughts, fears, and passions, we’re still loved and accepted.

The government can’t do that, and certainly not through a 10 question survey. But the Church can.

It happens as Christians get to know the people around them: their neighbors, their co-workers, the people they see at the gym, etc.  It starts with the willingness to begin a conversation and happens as the people of God spend themselves in the interest of others.

Spreading a Hope that Transcends the Temporal

This, of course, is the primary way the Church beats the government.  As Christians we believe this world is not all there is.  We’re able to say that the hope that trumps all others is that which is placed in Jesus Christ and that, because of our eternal hope, we’re able to weather whatever this world hands to us.

The government can’t offer that kind of hope.  It is an institution whose only interest is in this world.

But we can do it.

We can do it as we share with others about our hope.  We do it as we live with our hope firmly rooted in Jesus Christ – and that impacts everything: our relationships, finances, cares, worries…the whole thing.

I’m not saying anything new, here.  Heck, I’m sure several have already stopped reading precisely because nothing I’m saying hasn’t already been said before.  I’m just reminding us of the advantage we, as the people of God, have in this world.

Participate: Knock on the door of someone you don’t know in your community and get to know a new neighbor. Really. Try it just once and see how it goes.
Engage: If we’re going to beat the government, the people in our communities will need to expect interaction with us regularly.  What can you do in your neighborhood to make sure that happens?
Own: Identify a need in your community and organize a team to do something about it.

What other advantages does the Church have over the government?