A thread on #coronavirus and public theology.
I am a limited government type. This is not because I am reflexively conservative, but because I think the institutional responsibilities of government have limited jurisdiction as assigned to it by Scripture.
I am a limited government type. This is not because I am reflexively conservative, but because I think the institutional responsibilities of government have limited jurisdiction as assigned to it by Scripture.
The controlling passages for my views on government are 1 Kings 3:28; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim 2:1-6; 1 Peter 2:13-16. Summary? Government is to restrain evil, praise what is good, execute justice, and maintain the conditions for civic concord.
As I tell my classes, it's not biblical to be "anti-government." Government is ordered by God; it's not simply a "Plan B" institution b/c humanity is sinful. God is a God of order & people require order for their lives to be intelligible. Government fosters conditions for order.
In moments like the #coronavirus outbreak, I am reminded of the positive good of government. I praise God for it. Seriously. Even if not functionally perfectly, I praise God for the maintenance of order government provides in turbulent times.
I am reminded of a good Abraham Lincoln quote: “The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all, or can not so well do, for themselves – in their separate, and individual capacities.”
Pray for our government leaders. We cannot address this crisis ourselves. Pray for their wisdom, that God would exercise His common grace through the oversight of those He calls his "servants" and "ministers" (Rom 13:4,6). That's right—good government serves you and honors God.
In a moment like this, I don't really care what your party identifier is—I am going to pray for you. That means I will pray for @realDonaldTrump, @Mike_Pence, @GovAndyBeshear, and @louisvillemayor. Lord, give these servants your wisdom. Bless them.
