Flip the coin: God is on both sides!

 ‘…When they heard this, they were amazed’ (Matthew 22:22)

Matthew 22:15-22 (Year A: Trinity+18)

Politics and religion are strange bedfellows. At one level, the dictum ‘render unto Caeser etc.’ is cited to put a distance between ‘politics’ and ‘religion’ – to try to compartmentalise the religious (defined as private) from the political (defined as public).  Dividing up reality is not so easy because the very idea of God’s kingdom of justice and peace is utterly political. The dictum is the stock phrase used when Christians wish to dodge difficult political questions.

At other times, however, Christians (and others) have no problems quoting scripture when it suits and how it suits to defend or advance a particular political line. Traditionally, scripture and organised religion have identified as bastions against radical politics.  The emphasis is put on subservience, turning the other cheek and letting injustice be defined in a narrow way as pertaining to individual behaviour.  Moreover, sexual ethics are read into scripture in a manner to defend in an absolute way particular historical applications of family life and behaviour.

In modern times there is the curious spectacle of Christians (and other believers) selectively using tradition to defend particular laws, regimes or actions while other times passing over those parts of scripture that vindicate the rights of the poor and the oppressed in way that must surely challenge ways of organising society, markets and governance.

The reality that we cannot escape that God got involved in this messy world, first, by creating people from the raw material of created biological and social evolution and, second, by refusing to stay uninvolved in the struggles of the people for justice. True, Jesus, did not come as a political character in the drama of first century to oust the Roman occupiers and vindicate the people of Israel (his message and witness, in that sense, was a disappointment and scandal to those who had a different grasp of what liberation and the coming of a messiah would mean).

In our times we need to reflect, again, on what is means to be a disciple of the good news. In fact it is a very political news because it fundamentally challenges the way we do politics as citizens, voters, workers, businesses, families and communities. It does not mean that we have to adopt a narrow set of policies or see our political vocation as belonging to what political parties do. But, it does mean making a stand, speaking up and acting out even when it is inconvenient and possibly dangerous to do so. And that has implications in Ireland, Israel, Iraq and everywhere else. As scripture scholar Bill Loader has written:

‘Flip the coin: God's actually on all sides!’