Presence Weekly 7/22/2024 - “Honoring the President”

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 1 Peter 2:13–20 (ESV)

Two of our presidents have been in the news this week. 

On Thursday, former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for the third time, less than a week after surviving an assassination attempt. Depending on your political persuasion, thoughts on his acceptance speech are somewhere between jubilant expectation, frustrated resignation, and bewildered disbelief. 

Yesterday, President Joseph Biden ended his campaign for reelection and stated that he believes it’s in the Democratic Party’s best interest to allow someone else to pursue their party’s nomination. Here again, political perspective likely places you on the continuum of respectful appreciation, anxious uncertainty, and triumphal celebration.

For Christians of either party, the one response of which we should be most cautious of is sinful and dishonoring rhetoric.

Whether we like our leaders or not, think they are qualified or not, agree with them or not, we are instructed to “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him,” and to, “Honor the Emperor.” That, of course, is easier said than done. 

A General Public Application

Christians must remember that not one single word of the New Testament was written to anyone with substantive political agency. Everyone was at the weak end of a power differential. Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John all wrote to people ruled by Jewish religious leaders who “lorded over them,” and, even if they converted to Christianity, fell under the authority of Rome and its appointed governor. To say that Christians were not well thought of and possessed virtually zero political power would be painting a rosy picture of the situation. 

There was no lobbying for prayer in school, racial reconciliation marches, women’s marches, coalitions to end homelessness, or a pro-life movement. There was just Rome, taxes, and paying respect to the emperor. To be sure, that was a hard sell, especially after seeing what Jesus was capable of and how his earthly ministry ended at the hands of the government.

While an earlier version of the Apostle Peter probably would have been on-brand in uttering the inflammatory statements we’ve heard in recent years (“Let’s Go Brandon” or “He’s not my President,”), that’s before he understood the true mission of Jesus on earth. Jesus didn’t want or need his sword, Jesus needed Peter to feed his sheep. He needed Peter to make sure the Christians of Asia Minor knew that they were called to “Honor everyone!” That certainly meant people they disagreed with politically! (See Simon the Zealot and Matthew the Tax-Collector.) Political violence and hate speech against political leaders and their supporters was off the table for followers of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What Peter further came to understand, and wrote in his letter to the churches of Asia Minor, is that phrases like this are not only outside the bounds of civic discourse, they are sinful. In fact, those statements are hate-speech against God.

How so? Jesus made it clear that he could and would take over at some point in the future, but that even he did not know the hour that his Father had appointed. Jesus was okay with that to the point of going to the cross. So, saying “F*** the Emperor” or “He’s not my Emperor” is effectively speaking intentionally against the person that God has ordained for that office at that time. As citizens of a country with free and open elections, we are, in God’s providence and grace, in a position to vote to replace this leader. Yet, once elected, that is the person ordained by God to lead.

A Public Servants Application

For those serving and leading in the public square the issue is more complicated. While many work in offices of people whose political ideologies are in sync with their own, others do not. What does it mean to “serve at the pleasure of the President (or Congress member)?”

As mentioned in previous posts, we are given lessons through the lives of Joseph and Daniel. Joseph served as a senior advisor to the pharaoh in Egypt and Joseph served the king of Babylon. In both cases they gave wise counsel on all issues that would lead to the flourishing of the people. However, they refused to allow their service to the political leader to infringe upon their faithfulness to the Law of God. 

The second section of this passage is specifically talking about those living under the first century version of Roman slavery. Nonetheless, there is a clear application to people working in the public square for leaders they may not like, think are qualified, or even agree with:. 

As Peter says,

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.”

Paul understands this is an issue as well, 

“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.” Eph 6:18-19

The two passages are similar because everyone they were writing to was in a similar situation. They had little to no political agency, were seen as irrelevant or extreme, and would almost always be on the weak side of a power differential - just like Joseph and Daniel. Thus, Peter and Paul knew that this pastoral instruction for those serving (and leading) in government was important. 

Unlike Christians of the first century, you are free to resign at any time from your position without jail, beatings, or crucifixion (social media notwithstanding). What you are not free to do is dishonor those you serve alongside in the public square. 

Joseph Biden is your President. Donald Trump might be again. Someone else will eventually. Honor them all. 

Thanks, President Biden, for your service and leadership. Thanks, President Trump, for yours as well.

• Monday: Morning: 2 Samuel 20, 1 Corinthians 11:2-34, Psalm 107 // Evening: 2 Samuel 22, Luke 13:10-35, Psalm 107
• Tuesday: Morning: 2 Samuel 24, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27, Psalm 110, 111, 112, 113 // Evening: 1 Kings 1:1-35, Luke 14:1-24, Psalm 110, 111, 112, 113
• Wednesday: Morning: 1 Kings 1:32-53, 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13, Psalm 116, 117, 118 // Evening: 1 Chronicles 22:2-19, Luke 14:25-15:10, Psalm 116, 117, 118
• Thursday: Morning: 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:9, 1 Corinthians 14:1-19, Psalm 119:33-72// Evening: 1 Chronicles 29:10-30, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 119:33-72
• Friday: Morning: 1 Kings 3, 1 Corinthians 14:20-40, Psalm 119:105-144// Evening:1 Kings 4:1-34, Luke 16, Psalm 119:105-144
• Saturday: Morning: 1 Kings 5, 1 Corinthians 15:1-34, Psalm 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 // Evening: 1 Kings 6:1-14, Luke 17:1-19, Psalm 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125
• Sunday: Morning: 1 Samuel 3: 1-4:1a, Mark 12:18-44, Psalm 132, 133, 134, 135 // Evening: Ezekiel 37:15-28, Acts 15:1-31, Psalm 132, 133, 134, 135

• Cabinet Agency: Servants and leaders at the Small Business Administration as they work “to ignite change and spark action so small businesses can confidently start, grow, expand, or recover.”
• Think Tank, Lobby group, NGO: The staff of National Association of Convenience Stores which advocates for the 152,000 convenience stores, who conduct 160 million transactions a day and have annual sales of more than $906 billion.
• Weekly delegation: For the Congressional delegation of Connecticut.
• News events: Leadership of the Democratic Party as they sort out a system for selecting their party’s Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees. For Vice President Kamala Harris as she steps into the primary role of Democratic presidential campaign. Servants and leaders at the Federal Reserve Board as they contemplate monetary policy and potential interest rate changes in light of the most recent inflation and economic data. For the family of GOP Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance as they adjust to a national campaign as well as media and public scrutiny. 
• Personal requests: A young couple working through the first couple years of marriage, joyfully. A couple contemplating a second child. Two couples preparing to send children off to college. For an agency staffer looking to work in the private sector. For someone recently dismissed from their position. For someone who resigned a high-level position due philosophical and leadership differences.

• Medium has former President Barack Obama’s full statement of tribute to President Joe Biden.
• Deseret has a thought-provoking piece by Robert George on the “morality platform” decisions facing Republicans.
• PBS has the disturbing results of a recent poll on the willingness of Americans to use political violence to obtain their goals. 
• The New York Times has a guest essay encouraging Democrats to drop their “West Wing” love affair and embrace “Veep.”
• The Gospel Coalition has an excellent review of an excellent book on civil law and the perils of Christian’s believing they should try and legislate morality.

• Monday, June 22, 12:00 pm, The Chuck Brown Band will perform live as part of the daily “LIVE! CONCERT SERIES ON THE PLAZA” at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center. Other concerts happen every weekday throughout the summer. 
• Tuesday, June 23, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm the American Enterprise Institute hosts, “Free Speech Supreme Court Rulings and the Future of Digital Discourse.”
• Wednesday, July 24, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm ET, the Brookings Institution will host an online discussion, “The changing landscape of economic opportunity by race and class in America: New data and policy implications.”
• Wednesday, July 24, 7:00 pm, The Wharf’s “Rock the Dock” has Uncle Jesse for some great family friendly music in a beautiful venue.
• Thursday, July 25, 12:00 pm (online only), The Roosevelt Institute presents, “Envisioning the Good Life: The Need for a Progressive Vision.”
• Friday, July 26, 1:30-2:30, Trinity Forum (online only) has the newest Faithful Presence Board of Advisors member, Dr. Shirley Mullen, to discuss her new and highly relevant book, “Claiming the Courageous Middle.”

After two lunch meetings here, it’s time to give them the Faithful Presence seal of approval. With reasonable on street parking, and access to Metro stops, this Mediterranean restaurant has an eclectic, yet focused, menu. The service is attentive and the atmosphere is relaxed. While they are well-known for their fantastic brick-oven pizzas (we love the “Smoky Pepp”) you will also want to try the gyros and chicken souvlaki. Delia’s Happy Hour is top-notch as well.