"The first to plead his case seems just, until another comes and examines him," according to Proverbs 18:17.
Listening to just one side puts us in grave danger of being very wrong.
After examining both sides, though, so many Christians today want to claim virtue in straddling the fence of "both sides." See Charlottesville: "good people on both sides." This week as Kavanaugh awaits his Supreme Court fate, pastors and politicians alike declare there is hurt on both sides, anger on both sides, struggle on both sides, injustice on both sides. On one level, of course this is true, because everyone on all sides of everything ever is affected by the fallenness of the world in which we live.
But on one side there is the under-represented. On one side is the historically victimized. On one side is the less powerful. On one side is the person who has suffered for decades.
On the other side is the over-represented. On that side is the historically powerful. On that side is the person who has ascended for decades. And on that side is a person who very much appears to be stretching truth to its breaking point.
Yes, pray for both sides. Yes, love both sides. But like Jesus, speak up for and serve the least of these, even (especially) when that means calling power to account, even when that power is on "your" side.
We understand what is at stake for Christians who long for victory in a culture war. But a pyrrhic victory is no victory at all. A victory won with carnal weapons has no claim to being the blessing of God.
We will soon learn whether Judge Kavanaugh will ascend to the Supreme Court. It seems we have already learned just how much many American Christians are willing to give up to gain worldly power.
Listening to just one side puts us in grave danger of being very wrong.
After examining both sides, though, so many Christians today want to claim virtue in straddling the fence of "both sides." See Charlottesville: "good people on both sides." This week as Kavanaugh awaits his Supreme Court fate, pastors and politicians alike declare there is hurt on both sides, anger on both sides, struggle on both sides, injustice on both sides. On one level, of course this is true, because everyone on all sides of everything ever is affected by the fallenness of the world in which we live.
But on one side there is the under-represented. On one side is the historically victimized. On one side is the less powerful. On one side is the person who has suffered for decades.
On the other side is the over-represented. On that side is the historically powerful. On that side is the person who has ascended for decades. And on that side is a person who very much appears to be stretching truth to its breaking point.
Yes, pray for both sides. Yes, love both sides. But like Jesus, speak up for and serve the least of these, even (especially) when that means calling power to account, even when that power is on "your" side.
We understand what is at stake for Christians who long for victory in a culture war. But a pyrrhic victory is no victory at all. A victory won with carnal weapons has no claim to being the blessing of God.
We will soon learn whether Judge Kavanaugh will ascend to the Supreme Court. It seems we have already learned just how much many American Christians are willing to give up to gain worldly power.