Religion, Politics and Service to One’s Country
It is often said that we should not mix religion and politics at the dinner table. Most of the reasons why are obvious: it causes differences of opinion and perhaps some strife amongst loved ones. I never really quite minded because I enjoy hearing a good argument for why people believe they are on the right side of truth in their opinions. I also think these polarizing conversations are great for people to get to know each other better. Whether we agree or not, it is honorable for someone to take the time to understand another perspective different from their own. It also shows a sense of respect to agree or disagree peaceably with another.
“The only easy day was yesterday.”
What always fascinated me in the military is that despite huge differences amongst individuals, we always worked together as a team. There is a sense of mutual respect and admiration that servicemembers share with one another. Being in the military is much like living in another culture, having an extended family and acquiring a certain identity that we all share amongst each another. It’s a volunteered responsibility. We all share in the struggles and appreciate those who will have our back despite our personal or political differences. In some ways, serving in the military is the best of times of our life, but it also comes with some of the worst of times of our lives as well.
Serving in the military gives me hope that America is different. With news media flooding our inbox with divisions of race, economics, corruption, and misinformation campaigns, I never had to worry about what my peers thought about these issues. Most of the service members I worked with were all very outspoken about what they thought about these topics. We knew that we had a safe space within the military that required us to work together despite what the world is telling us to believe about each other. Most of the time we would just talk briefly, then get back to work. We still had to work together and none of the polarizing topics really mattered other than how we were going to get through our day. That is what I loved about the military: we focused on one day and if we got everything done on that day then we would focus on the next day. We would do this until the mission is accomplished regardless of the timeframe. We would plan our work and work our plan, but in the end, we just had the day to focus on. As they say in the Navy Seals, “The only easy day was yesterday.”
So, as we think of today as Veteran’s Day, we ought to honor our veterans who have sacrificed a lot to make sure our nation is free. We should as suggested from Romans 13:7 “Give honor to whom honor is due”. Service members certainly fit that build! And thank God for giving us men and woman who willingly volunteered to pay the ultimate sacrifice for America’s safety.
Being that this was also an election week, we could show our appreciation by praying for our service members, our nation and its leadership. We have the duty and responsibility to “Seek the peace and prosperity of our nation, pray for it, for in it we will find OUR own prosperity.”[1] This requires stewardship to elect good leaders who will govern morally and effectively for our cities, states, and nation. Stewardship and evangelism go hand in hand in order to make our nation and the world a better place. This is our Christian service to God and others until the day when our good Lord returns or calls us home. We are truly blessed to have a nation of people who love the Lord our God![2]
-written by Jake Richardson
[1] Jeremiah 29:7
[2] Psalm 33:12
Jake is a new intern here at Redeemer. He currently serves God and country while attending seminary at Dallas Theological. He lives in Fate with his wife Leanne, two children, pug and cat. He enjoys lots of caffeine, learning interesting things and people. You can contact Jake HERE!