Sow and Reap Respect and Honor

In a few short weeks, the ceremonial passing of the torch will take place where President-elect Joe Biden will take his oath of office and be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Tens of millions of people around the world will tune in to watch the momentous occasion, but what will be more significant are the controversial thoughts, comments, and actions from those who will refuse to call Biden their President in the name of election fraud and conservative cable news. 

Over the last four years, there has been overt political polarization sweeping the nation, never seen since the Civil War's bloody battles. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become battlefields. Thumb taps and swipes have become weapons. Tweets and posts have delivered the onslaught of casualties to both sides of the fight. Sadly, once Biden is sworn into office, his calls for unity will start and end at the desk of the Oval Office.

The cable news cycles haven't provided any sort of help in healing the societal wounds that came about in Trump's presidency. Instead, the camera has shifted focus, zeroing in on the trials and tribulations of a split Congress that never bats an eye to the mere thought of compromise. We as Americans reap what we sow. In the case of the church, we are by no means excluded from the war at hand. If anything, we have stood on the frontlines hurling grenades and unloading ammunition in the unwavering support of President Trump in anything and everything he has done, both good and bad.

I have found myself wondering what God's Word speaks in the hope of navigating conflicts like these, and I was blessed to come across 1 Samuel 26. In this chapter, David spares the life of King Saul. Familiar with the story, the left-out details came as a surprise, primarily because of how important they are in today's society. Here are verses 7-11:

"That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. Then Abishai said to David, 'Today God has delivered your enemy to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won't have to strike him twice!' But David said to Abishai, 'Don't destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord's anointed and be innocent?' David added, 'As the Lord lives, the Lord will certainly strike him down: either his day will come, and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. However, as the Lord is my witness, I will never lift my hand against the Lord's anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let's go.'"

As David approached the sleeping king, it was David who was the Lord's anointed. He has slain Goliath, gained both fame and a following, and remained undefeated in battle. Recent developments showed that David was running for his life because of who? Saul. Abishai decided it was best to end Saul's reign right then and there so that David could claim his rightful place on the throne. Besides, he wouldn't have to worry about getting murdered, but David responds with a resounding, "No!" How weird is that? He had every possible reason to kill Saul laid out in front of him, yet David refused to act in such a way because Saul was on the throne. He was not. Saul was the Lord's anointed, and David would submit to his authority.

Not only did David respond the right way, but it was also the righteous thing to do. With the Spirit of God within him and the providence of God before him, he knew that his time on the throne would come. If he responded and reacted out of anger, his reign would have begun out of hate, setting an unrighteous precedent to the people of Israel, whether they approved of Saul's murder or not.

Now, I will admit. I hardly believe that there are faithful followers of Christ waiting at the doorstep of President-elect Biden's New Hampshire residence, hoping to murder him in his sleep. But what do we know about the biblical concept of hatred? Those who hate one another out of the brewing anger in their minds murder them in their hearts. With the light of the Holy Spirit, we are moved to act following the life of Christ. When we respond and react toward others in hate, selfishness, and anger, that not only disrespects the image of God, but it defames the name of Christ. It is both egregious and sinful. In our hardness of hearts, we are born into hate, but Christ saved us unto righteousness. 

In Paul's letter to the Romans, it's not a coincidence that he calls on the church to love after calling them to submit to the empirical ruling authorities who are murdering their brothers and sisters in Christ. As Christians living in a democratic government, we have plenty of opportunities to voice our opinions and pursue justice in the public square for the marginalized and disadvantaged. In fact, that is our job as followers of Christ. The people of God must stand for truth. We must remain steadfast in the joyful message of the gospel. To stand for that means giving our new leader the utmost honor and respect. 

It does not matter what the previous media narrative was toward President Trump, nor does it matter if you align with President-elect Biden in policy decisions. There is no free pass to scorn our leaders. There is room for criticism and disapproval, but those two things should not and cannot lead to a blatant mockery of the nation's highest office. Our prayers for our leaders should not depend on their party affiliation. The respect should span the spectrum. At the end of the day, the President is elected to serve.  He will soon lead our country, and the entire country should respect him as such.

We pray for healing,

We pray in hope; 

We pray Your love,

In which we cope.

We pray for our leaders,

Who take charge of this land;

We pray they trust in You

And your gospel, in which we stand.