I exchanged the names of our current and incoming presidents for "emperor" to fit our day, but other than that, these words are scripture (1 Peter 2:17 NIV).
I stand convicted on this. I have too often missed the mark. I'm particularly struck by the last part: "Honor the emperor"......because I have not always honored our "emperor", Mr. Obama.
As Peter was writing this from Rome around 65 A.D. the current emperor would have been Nero, the mad tyrant who tortured Christians, and according to Church tradition, finally crucified the apostle. Clearly, Peter was not saying honor the emperor because he deserved it.
So.....with that in mind, what right do I or any of us have to dishonor President Obama or President-Elect Trump with our words or deeds?
That being so, the question for us is this: how do we Jesus followers honorably disagree with the policies and deeds of the "emperor" of our day, or express concerns about fitness for office, while still obeying the command of scripture?
Peter's apostolic colleague, Paul, also had something to say about this matter: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Prayer and intercession for those who lead in our communities, states and national government goes hand in hand with honoring these men and women.
We are clearly in a different situation than the first century Church. For just one thing, in our system of government, we select the leaders of our land. Expressing our opinions is important.
Nevertheless, I believe the apostle Peter's words apply just as much in these days as they did for those who lived in his day. It seems to me that the issue is a matter of honoring the emperor in our hearts… when we do this our words will reflect that heart posture.
I have deep disagreements with much of Mr Obama's policies and deeds, and I have deeply questioned his fitness for office. While I have great hope for Mr. Trump, at this point his policies, deeds and fitness can only be guessed at. I do have great concerns about what I have read about his fitness for office and his past deeds. Questioning and outright disagreeing with both of these men is my right as an American, and indeed, as a human.
Where I…..and any of us who are Christians go off the rails is when we attack the person, rather than his deeds, his policies, or his preparation for office.
We also go off the rails when we gossip. In the context of FaceBook and other social media, gossip also includes sharing information from others that we have not verified as truthful. The amount of untruthful or questionable information being gossiped on FaceBook today is staggering.
I'm still unpacking the import of Peter's words as it relates to us today. I would be quite interested to hear what you think.
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