Some people of faith tend to be either/or. A suicide bomber, for example, willingly forfeits this life for the hope of rewards in the next. That utterly contradicts the Christian message, for Jesus taught us to pray that God's will be done "on earth as it is in heaven." When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, he described it as taking shape now, on this planet.

The world does not need either/or people of whatever persuasion—neither the believer who sees life as something merely to endure, nor the George Orwell who realizes all too late that he sawed off the limb he was resting on.

Rather, we need both/and Christians, people devoted to God's creatures and God's children as well as to God, and as committed to this life as to the afterlife, to this city as to the heavenly city. Otherwise, the rhetoric from Democrats in Colorado, as well as from Republicans in Minnesota, will be just that: empty rhetoric. For, as Habermas says, a democracy of free people must look elsewhere for the qualities its citizens need.

Read it all and take special note of the quote from George Orwell.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * Economics, Politics • Politics in General • US Presidential Election 2008 • * Theology • Eschatology

1. libraryjim wrote: Over the years, I’ve found that I can generally trust what Philip Yancey writes.  I’ve read many of his books, and can recommend them all highly.  The one I’ve not yet read is the one most people recommend TO ME:  What’s so Amazing about Grace? In His Peace Jim E. <>< September 27, 3:25 pm | [comment link]

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