Human society has a soul to save and serve

“Godliness exalts a nation...” Proverbs 14:34. From January 30 to February 5 2023, Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, Church of Scotland Moderator, made an ecumenical “peace pilgrimage” to the DR Congo and South Sudan. It reflected their united concern for the people of these nations, where protracted conflicts have left hundreds killed, millions of refugees and displaced people grappling with hunger.

Yet, both countries are rich in natural resources. In April 2019 Pope Francis made a very prophetic gesture, when he knelt to kiss the feet of South Sudan’s president and leader of opposition, during a retreat in the Vatican; urging them to promote peace.

Church and politics
Church and state are partners in serving the common good of society. Jesus’ dictum, in Mark 12:17: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God”, may be understood in this context. “When people say that the Bible and politics don’t mix, I ask them which Bible they are reading”, asserts Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Together with Mr. Nelson Mandela, he spearheaded the transformation of South Africa. Had the prophetic pastoral letter: “Church and State”, of Archbishop Dr. Joseph Kiwanuka, been heeded to, Uganda would be the star of Africa. Prophetically, the pope is head of the Vatican State and of the Catholic Church.

When God created human beings, He breathed His Spirit in them (Genesis 2:7). The human society has a spirit. God made His plan to save society, long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated that liberation could not be accomplished through the power of man, economic strength, military might, or politics, but only through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Whether or not they recognise it officially, the fact is that all nations are under God. Politics is only a method He uses to accomplish His will. Even though evil men/women abuse their political power, God means it for good (Romans 8:28). 

The constitutional provision of separation of church and state, means keeping the government from interfering with people’s religion and the way they worship God, not keep religious people from participating in government or politics. The church has a moral obligation of guiding society and being the voice of the voiceless, though must not engage in partisan politics. 

“Religion tends to be important to people who care about politics; likewise, politics often matters most to those who care about religion. And often, these are the same people. Without a set of transcendent values, nothing governs how humans are to live together.

“Once God is removed from civic life, we are left with two principal actors: the individual and the state. With God out of the picture there is no mediating structure to create moral values. Without religion, there’s no counterbalance to the state’s ambitions” argues Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, theologian.

Basis for judging
Religion is always the basis for judging a society’s beliefs and values. Pathetically, today, hedonism has become more aggressive and more political. It insists on imposing global ethics, like same sex unions, and seeks to forbid cultural and religious values. When God commands us to love our neighbors, He means to love them holistically. We must, then, enter the civic realm with moral values of God’s kingdom. 

St. Augustine called Christianity society’s most essential preservative. In Matthew 5:13-16 Christians are called to be salt and light in all aspects of the world to bring glory and honor to God. We cannot surrender our world to the prince of darkness. “When morality and civic virtue break down, divine authority intervenes to impose frugal living, continence, friendship, justice, and concord among citizens.” he said.

Christianity has, throughout history, influenced society. The abolition of slavery; intervention for social services and laws that protect children and women, are vivid cases. If Christians don’t get involved in civil government, politics shall always remain dirty. The church must shine the light, sprinkle the salt, and clean it up. 

When rightly informed and motivated, Christians can bring the moral standards of God’s kingdom into the civic realm and thereby become agents of peace (Matthew 5:9). “The world needs leaders who care about values, the conditions in which people live and act out their faith and work among the most vulnerable and marginalised.” said Dr Greenshields.

Quick notes 
“Religion tends to be important to people who care about politics; likewise, politics often matters most to those who care about religion. And often, these are the same people. Without a set of transcendent values, nothing governs how humans are to live together. “Once God is removed from civic life, we’re left with two principal actors: the individual and the state. With God out of the picture there’s no mediating structure to create moral values. Without religion, there’s no counterbalance to the state’s ambitions,” argues Fr Richard John Neuhaus.