Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the poll-tax to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Matthew 22:15-22 NIVUK
January 6th 2001 is a day that will live long in American consciousness, although not for good reasons. It’s the date when, fuelled by completely unfounded rumours of cheating, a bunch of right wing insurrectionists tried to storm the Capitol building in Washington DC to prevent Congress from accepting the results of an election the previous year, recognising Joe Biden as President.
For a country that prided itself on being democratic and encouraging others to be democratic, this was a profound bloody nose for its values.
But what made it worse – way worse, in fact – was the presence of Christian symbols at the insurrection. You see, during the election campaign, Donald Trump – someone who could by no means call himself a Christian – heavily courted the vote of the so-called ‘religious right’ (even though there is nothing religious about right wing politics). There were many within this particular demographic who believed he was God’s messenger and could not accept that he had been defeated.
And so the name of Christ was unfortunately dragged through the mud by narrow-minded, ill-educated hicks who had been played by a cold, calculating con-man.
It was one of the most uncomfortable days to call yourself a Christian.
However, it should not have happened. Christians have no place instigating or taking place in violent insurrection. Christians have no place leading revolutions. It’s not our calling. We should stay well away.
I’m saying that as someone who watched a whole series of revolutions in 1989, where a multitude of unjust regimes were toppled like drunken dominoes. I’m saying that as someone who prayed that those regimes should fall. I’m saying that as someone who regularly prays for regimes in North Korea and Russia to fall.
Prayer is fine. But instigating and participating in uprisings – particularly against democratically elected leaders – is not.
How can I say that? What if the regime is utterly idolatrous and has turned its back on God? What if it is hell-bent on persecuting Christians?
These are not academic questions. Not anymore.
And I’m not just talking about January 6th.
Even in Western nations, governments are passing legislation that is anti-church and anti-Christian, far removed from the Word of God.
So what should we do?
We'll search the Scriptures to see, using these important verses as our base, and we’ll start with The Intention.
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