In an essay entitled “Fear Not,” Presbyterian minister, Dan
McNerney, argues that we should not even fear Islamic oppression, terrorism,
and immigration. Why not? Because God is in charge and can bring good out of
the worst situations:
·
Yet, they
survive through their incredible faith, often becoming witnesses in jail for
their Lord.
·
In recent
years, the underground church in Iran has become the fastest growing church in
the world, now numbering three million believers.
Of course, I rejoice at such testimonies. These not only
reveal the glory of our God but also His care for His Church—us! However, from
such examples, McNerney also seems to argue that if God is in control we
shouldn’t be. Instead, we should adopt a politically “hands-off” stance when it
comes to confronting Islam:
·
Too often,
we prefer holding onto and controlling the reins of our lives, reluctant to trust
anyone, not even God. We would rather be racked with anxiety than give up
control of our lives. It makes no sense, but we do it all the time.
Certainly, we must trust in the Lord and not be “racked with
anxiety,” but doesn’t the Church have a responsibility here, at least to advocate
for the protection of society and the innocent? And aren’t we showing a lack of
love for our neighbor when we remain silent in the face of hundreds of
thousands of potential jihadists entering our neighborhoods?
McNerney’s only response to evil seems to be to “give up
control of our lives” and to live without care before the proven dangers.
However, we also have a role to play:
·
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct
oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah
1:17; ESV)
·
Thus says the LORD: Do justice and
righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been
robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and
the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. (Jeremiah 22:3)
When we can make a difference and yet fail to protect against
the oppressor, we are at fault:
·
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails
to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17)
Instead, the Church must be prophetic and expose evil:
·
Take no part in the unfruitful works of
darkness, but instead expose them. (Ephesians 5:11)
When we fail to stand against evil and even welcome evil
into our midst, we betray our calling. The Church had failed to stand against
segregation and Hitler. This opened the door to great suffering and brought
disrepute upon the Church.
However, it seems that McNerney would just have us pray,
turn our back, and walk on.
Jesus told a parable about a Good Samaritan who took care of
a man who had been mugged and left “half dead.” Seeing him, a priest and a
Levite crossed over to the opposite side, but why not? Perhaps, like McNerney,
they were determined not to be “racked with anxiety” over what to do about this
man. Indeed, God is sovereign. It’s His business, right?
However, to be fair to McNerney, he does advocate in favor
of love:
·
The only
thing that will bring a radical Muslim to his knees is the power, love and
grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We cannot allow fear to enter our souls and
extinguish our faith or hope in our own country. Fear has no place in the
Gospel.
Truly, the Church must lead with love. However, love alone did
not stop the Jim Crow laws or Hitler. Force also was necessary.
If Mordechai had thought according to McNerney’s thinking,
he might have planted Haman a garden or polished his shoes, once he heard of the
edict, inspired by Haman, for the utter destruction of the Jewish people.
However, Mordechai knew that stronger measures were needed to rescue his
people. Therefore, he prevailed upon Esther to approach the king, even at the
risk of her own life.
While we are called to love as Jesus did, sometimes other
measures are necessary to protect the innocent. That’s why God had ordained a
justice system to wield His vengeful sword (Romans 13:1-4).
It is now common to hear people say that, “If Hitler had
just been loved enough, he would have been tamed.” However, this is not the
message of Scripture, which acknowledges that sometimes kindness and peace are
not enough:
·
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live
peaceably with all. (Romans 12:18)
Sometimes it is not possible, since it doesn’t depend
entirely on us. Jesus is our exemplar of love, and yet He was put to death. And
He warned that the world would also hate us:
·
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated
me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as
its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the
world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his
master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my
word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:18-20)
This happens, not because of our lack of love but because of
evil. Therefore, there are times when love must cloth itself with coercion—even
excommunication. In the case of brethren who had proved that they weren’t
amenable to reason and gentleness, Jesus instructed:
·
“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a
Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:17)
Notice that Jesus didn’t follow McNerney’s admonition: “The only thing that will bring a radical
Muslim to his knees is the power, love and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” If
our own brethren won’t always be brought to their knees by love, we should not
expect that this one tactic will bring the radical Muslim to his knees.
Nor did Jesus castigate the Church at Pergamum for not
loving enough. Instead, He criticized this church for not taking decisive
measures against false teaching:
·
“But I have a few things against you: you have
some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling
block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to
idols and practice sexual immorality.” (Revelation 2:14)
Likewise, the Church at Thyatira had not been criticized
because they did not love Jezebel enough to bring about her repentance:
·
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate
that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing
my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”
(Revelation 2:20-21)
Love will not overcome all evil. In the case of Jezebel, she
refused to repent. Meanwhile, the Church at Ephesus was commended because they
resorted to more coercive means:
·
“I know your works, your toil and your patient
endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested
those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” (Revelation
2:2)
Likewise, when Jesus returns, He will return with more than
tenderness. The Prophet Malachi gives a description of what His return will be
like even for some of His elect:
·
But who can endure the day of his coming, and
who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like
fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will
purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will
bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. (Malachi 3:2-3)
Jesus will not just come with tenderness. Nevertheless, McNerney
is right that we shouldn’t be shaking in fear over the Islamic threat. Our God
reigns. However, we must be as wise as serpents and take a meaningful stance
against this threat, if not for ourselves, then for the innocent who are now
being decimated by this sword.
