Tuesday, July 03, 2007

The Two Kingdoms

The following commentary, in my opinion, is right on regarding the separation of church and state; it is appropriate food for thought this July 4th. Rev. Lenz is the current pastor of Faith Free Lutheran Church, which I served from 1998 to 2004.

The Fourth of July is a good time to reflect on the two kingdoms in which Christians live. Martin Luther talked about the kingdom of the left hand (state) and the kingdom of the right hand (church). He was alluding to what Jesus said about His kingdom which "is not of this world" (John 18:36).

"Thy kingdom come" we pray as Jesus taught in the Lord's Prayer. Luther's Catechism instructs us that the kingdom of God comes "When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit so that by His grace we believe His holy Word, and live a godly life here on earth, and in heaven for ever."

The church's job, therefore, is to proclaim God's Word by which the Spirit gives us His grace to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Then people will live as Christians who are "salt and light" in the world. Our Job is not to "Christianize" politics. The mission of the church is not to take over the government. Rather it is to preach the gospel, knowing that the gospel cannot legislate for the world, nor the world for the gospel.

In his blunt style, Luther wrote: "It is better to be ruled by a wise Turk than a stupid Christian." In other words, the church has no special knowledge about social justice and criminal codes, no sanctified wisdom about economics or foreign policy. Sadly, church people have demonstrated that they have no monopoly on moral purity either. Those who anoint themselves as moral leaders, claiming the "moral high ground" in public policy debates, tend to be blind to their own sin which they share with all others.

"The role of church leaders, rightly understood is to disavow all religiously-infused politics and politically-infused religions for the sake of the integrity of both kingdoms." (The Lutheran Hedgehog, March-April 2006)

However, Christians are not exempt from public service. As individuals we work through political systems out of love for our neighbor. We affirm the legitimacy of military force as a necessary option when threats to safety cannot be stopped by negotiation. And always, we remember that the peace of Jesus is "not as the world gives." (John 14:27)


-- Rev. Greg Lenz, Faith Free Lutheran Church (AFLC), Minneapolis, MN

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