6 comments

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  Jason Winton

  12 months ago

  Hi Mark,
  
  Beautiful rendition. It's great to read these words in the midst of the national "imperial" celebration. Thanks for writing so thoughtfully and generously about our government.
  
  Warmly,
  Jason Winton
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  Joel

  12 months ago

  Well, there it is. I think that this was really well thought out and written. I feel that the anti-american themes here and elsewhere can become a little thick sometimes. But I feel that misses out on the big picture. While we are called to claim our only aliegence is to God, the only thing that we should really be against is sin. And we are all guilty of that so it kinda levels out the playing field.
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  TomDuregger

  12 months ago

  I explain to people that, from a Biblical point of view, I am a subject, by birth, of the United States government. I am a subject, not an allegient, as my allegience is with the Kingdom of Heaven and i will do nothing which puts that loyalty into question in the eyes of my Heavenly Soveriegn. This fact, because of His righteous commandments concerning His, should make me a good subject to any human government, but, at the same time, a poor vassel. I will not act in the place of any earthly magistry, rendering coercive force or judgement on others. As the Apostle Paul had written, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? (1 Cor. 5:12).
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  Andrea

  12 months ago

  Beautiful reminder and summation of why she should stay positive and good, not practicing constant subversiveness. To "submit" is the only way to allow the government to actually do what they are supposed to do. Whether or not they follow in the exact way we think is right, we are under God and should follow his commands and keep love first.
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  The Progressive Prophet

  11 months ago

  I did enjoy this paraphrasing a great deal, and for the most part I find it to be Biblically sound. Well done for offering an adaptation which both speaks of our allegiance to Christ alone, as well as how we should respond to the nation state.
  
  I do have just one point of constructive citicism: The references to McDonalds and Coca-Cola annoyed me a bit, since they didn't seem to fit into the context of a Christian response to the Empire. I realise that their mentions were casual and that they weren't really the point, but all the same I think we ought to be a little more mindful of the example we give to others. On top of being a major corporation, McDonalds is one huge example of a fast-food industry relying upon intensive factory farming which not only bears appalling animal welfare records, but also churns out its products at a huge cost to the environment and the earth's resources. Similarly, Coca-Cola has come under serious allegations in recent years for depleting water supplies in developing nations and leaving them polluted and poisonous. I really didn't think that these were the best examples of how to love our enemies, if buying from these institutions comes at the cost of loving our neighbours. For a website which encourages Christians to be set apart from the systems of the Empire, it struck me as a little off to find references to two companies which are placed firmly within it.
  
  Beyond that one point, though, I loved everything else.
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  markvans

  11 months ago

  I was being tongue-in-cheek. I'm fairly confident that no one will feel encouraged to drink coke or eat McDonald's based upon the example set here. Nevertheless, I understand your point and should have used different wording, to set a more consistent message in the loose paraphrase I offered.
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