I heard that a court in a certain part of the country has said that some violators of the law could use going to church (I assume other places of worship too) as a way to serve their sentence. Some churches find this to be good because it gives them a chance to share the gospel with more people. Other Christians don't like this idea for different reasons (cheapening church, government involvement in church, etc.).

     My reaction is that we need to recognize what is happening here, the state is coopting the church in its agenda to build good citizens. This seems to be a good agenda, considering the church should be concerned about the peace and prosperity of the city, which is affected by whether we have good citizens or not. Citizens who are considerate are good for the country. However, is it really good for the church to be coopted by the state?

     The government is instituted by God, and sometimes pushes God's agendas (justice, providing security), but it is not an institution directed by God. Sinful men are part of government and they can push an agenda counter to God's agenda. What if the government starts telling churches, in the name of tolerance, to teach that certain lifestyles prohibited in scriptures are fine? Sometimes Christ is coopted by certain agendas like the political left's ideas concerning the environment, redistribution of wealth, etc. Sometimes Christ is coopted by the political right, which can be reactionary and not willing to listen to others' concerns, instead of thinking in terms of the peace and prosperity of the place God put them. Christ, who stands for the holy God, is made to stand for worldly agendas (environmentalism puts the rest of creation above humans, redistribution of wealth is oppressive, imposing morality without concern for people is oppressive also).

     When Jesus said he is the way, he is principally saying that he is the way to God. He does not point the way to God but he is asserting that by walking with him, human beings are led to God. What does it mean to walk with Jesus? Jesus' life ended in the cross, and his followers are called to follow him to the cross. Walking with Jesus involves looking at the self, and crucifying it. It is an internal journey, that sometimes manifest itself externally. At the end of that journey, the person finds the divine, where he finds the peace he has been longing for. 

     So what does this have to do with government or other ideologues using Christ for their agenda? Christ is looking for more than agreement with his teachings. He wants to direct our agendas- our hopes, dreams, etc. Jesus' agenda is not an agenda for social change but an agenda to redeem human hearts. For those who claim to be followers of Jesus, we must remember that his agenda is to change hearts. Therefore, we must not measure our or other's allegiance to Jesus by the causes they support, but by their humility- what I believe to be the manifestation of the heart being crucified.

     As I look at the political scene, there is a lack of humility, even among those who follow Jesus. This is manifested by the lack of open conversation between those who oppose each other politically. There are a lot of chips on shoulders, instead of humble acknowledgment of the wisdom and heart of those who oppose each other. I believe revival would be like a wind of humility penetrating personal relationships and the public square. Revival would happen when Christ's followers walk with him to the cross, leading the way in showing humility, putting the self aside for the sake of others. Hearts would then be reconciled and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as waters cover the seas.