CHURCH AND POLITICS IN DIALOGUE: A VIEW OF A PROPHETIC PARADIGM
2.3 CHURCH AND POLITICS
2.3.6 Some reasons offered in church for avoiding politics
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groups: those marginalized because of their economic status, the socially marginalized, those side-lined for cultural reasons and, finally, people marginalized on religious grounds. It implies that not exclusively poor people were marginalized. The same fate affected some moneyed persons who belonged to societal categories that were deemed unacceptable. For example, Zacchaeus and Matthew are marginalized in their communities although they are rich (Rodriguez, 2012:18). In spite of the impact of Jesus’
ministry on present-day social relations, excusing oneself from political participation is still a common occurrence at which we take a closer look in the following section.
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for political matters? What can be learned from this text in respect of a Christian’s political responsibility? The question posed by Pharisees and Herodians was aimed at trapping Jesus into a negative comment on taxes imposed on Jews by their oppressors. Jesus does not specify in this narrative what belongs to Caesar and what is God’s. It is known that everything belongs to God. Paul’s reading is that people should submit to authorities.
But early Christians could not worship the Roman emperor as a sign of submission.
Discussions on the meaning of the verses Mark 12.17 and Matthew 22.21 do not provide satisfactory arguments for avoiding political engagement.
Even so, the texts were used by the DR Congo President Kabila in a media conference on January 26, 2018, after people had been killed on January 9 and 21, during a march organised by the Catholic Church. Being questioned, Kabila underlined that “the political matter does not belong to the church: The church must render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs God”. Here too, no clarification of the text’s meaning.
Indirectly responding to Kabila’s statement, the priest N’Shole, general secretary of CENCO (Conseil Episcopale National du Congo), noted that “the lives of the Congolese people do not belong to Caesar, rather to God” (interview with Abbe N’shole on the evening of January 26, 2018). The priest emphasized the prophetic role of the church in socio-economic and political matters. The church must be present where people are suffering.
2.3.6.2 Our kingdom is not from this world
When Jesus said (John 18.36), “My Kingdom is not of this world”, he meant to underline the origin and nature of his kingdom which is a spiritual kingdom. Pilate is not able to deliver him by the power of the Jew. Subjects of Jesus’ kingdom do not fight with actual weapons. His kingdom is supernatural and is in the world without being worldly. It is maintained by means that are spiritual and moral. Jesus prays that “Christians are not of this world" (John 17:14), but “it is important to know that we are sent into the world" (John 17-18. The world is where Christians must act and carry out their testimony. They are sent to be the salt and the light in the world. Hence, Christians belong in the world without being of the world. This reality does not allow Christians to escape the world’s realities.
49 2.3.6.3 Politics often lead to bad endings
Storkey (2005:143), in his study of Jesus and politics, is concerned about the relation between truth and politics which is often ambiguous. There is an ambiguity in this researcher’s culture as well when talking about politicians. In the vernacular the word means ‘liars’, or it indicates at the least a person who doesn’t tell the truth. Often, political actors impose on the public whatever they wish to impose and wish or believe to be true.
Whatever is in their interest is embraced as truth. It is not always a question of liking to swim against the current. Telling the truth may be dangerous and many have been killed for doing so. An example is John the Baptist who lost his head in the process. This type of discipline is still applied in the present-day world. It happens that speakers of what is the truth are imprisoned or murdered. Others choose to rather keep silent and avoid trouble. Or else they join the proclaimers of untruths and declare to see white where there is dark and two where there is one. That is what may be called compromising.
Jesus faced similar choices when he appeared before his detractors, among them Pilate, representative of Caesar. They attempted to force him to accept that which was not his mission. Jesus stood firm and spoke truth. He was by that time hated and condemned to death for speaking truth. As in ancient times, corruption was the hallmark of political rulers. Most prophets underwent torture because they proclaimed truth while admonishing evil. Whoever is engaged in a similar way today, must accept the consequences of choices made as his or her reality. They speak truth or they will find themselves compromising.
Concerning the involvement of Christians in politics, Kouadio (1994:2) proposes that they participate in city management where they can be the best advocates of the Gospel. He adds, however, that politics is “a complicated game”. Often involvement with politics exposes one to environments where fraud and corruption are routinely practised. In that case Christians need to adhere to strictly ethical practices in order to live by Christ. But too often those perceived as being the “best Christians” who might be supposed to introduce enlightenment into a political environment are restricted to the church. Kouadio (1994:3) suggests that political engagement must be based on vocation as well as faith, and represent the serving of peace and justice. Pastors who have already been ordained,
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he advises to not embrace politics as a career, but to involve in prayer and to vote for, and engage in, a politic party so as not to be neutral.
In a discussion of faith and vocation Mehlhorn (2008:77), a Protestant pastor in an evangelical church in Germany, makes a strong statement on her conception of public life.
Already as a young girl, I did not consider my faith to be something private.
Faith was my way of seeing the world; it was also what showed me my responsibility in and for the world. Ever since I was about sixteen years old, it became ever clearer to me that this faith should also become my profession. With that, I made a decision in favour of a public mission where religious matters were concerned
The church is no longer considered as a national institution in Western Europe. Religious institutions are no more the dominant force as they used to be, as church membership has declined in many Western countries (Fergusson, 2004:141). In that respect Africa occupies the stronger position as churches in this continent seem to be more plentiful than ever before.
2.3.6.4 The authority has been established by God (Romans 13.1-4)
The Greek word for authority is “exousia”, meaning privilege, mastery, delegated influence. It is the same word that Pilate uses when admonishing Jesus saying: “…don’t you realise I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” It is a problem that temporary and political authorities abuse the word “exousia”. Instead of giving the word its meaning of privilege, mastery or influence delegated, they use it for power and neglect the word
“Dunamis” which properly means force, miraculous power, and the ability to squeeze people. Dunamis is mostly used to express the supranatural power by the Lord given to his own to control the prince of evil (Luke 5.10; 4.14; 9.1; 21.27).
The point of this Scripture is first of all to define the context of Paul’s statement. He argues on the origin of temporal power. God is presented as the origin of spiritual and temporal governments.
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2.3.6.5 To submit to the political authority (Romans 13.5-7; 1 Peter 2.13-14)
From Greek comes the verb “hypotassesthai”, meaning to subordinate, to obey, to be under obedience, to subdue unto. The word submission is sometimes used in the context of exploitation and abuse which require the submission of victims. What to do when the worldly authority itself does not submit to God and rules against God’s will? The apostles to the Sanhedrin give a straight answer in Acts 5.29: “We must obey God rather than human beings”. In the context of social injustice in America, Martin Luther King states:
“We have moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”. Disobedience in the context of injustice is a responsibility of Christians. How such considerations impact the African continent is discussed in the following section.