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Howard Taylor. (Summary of Full Article) What is the distinctive message the Church has for nationallife? Over against the terrible distortion of the role of governmentby the Nazis, the Confessing Church proclaimed the Lordship of Christ.Is that not the clear message that the Churches should be making knowntoday? It does not need complicated research and long reports to keep remindingpeoples and leaders what is necessary. It is in the exposition of great story of the Bible wheretrue love and justice are revealed, that human beings and national governmentscan get a sense of purpose. It is from a sense of purpose that we understandthe value of anything. Without a publicly agreed purpose and value for humanlife no morality including social morality can survive. It is in this areamost of all that the Church must not fail the nation and world. If the`salt of the earth' loses it distinctive savour what hopeis there for the world it is called upon to preserve? When our Lord began His Sermon on the Mount, there weremany different opinions represented among His hearers. These differingpolitical views were bitterly dividing the people of 1st Century Israel.Many would have been wondering which sides in the many controversies Jesuswould align Himself with. However, throughout the sermon He didn't evenmention the controversies. Did that mean that His message was irrelevantto these disputes? Not at all! His message went right to the heart of hishearers and therefore challenged the deepest motives behind their argumentsand struggles. All sections of the population eventually rejected Him,but in His dying He made atonement for our sins and in His resurrectionrenewed His promise that He would come again at the end of the age to renewall things and save those who humbly look to Him. With that great hopepoliticians can find meaning and purpose in their vocation. Without itthey are lost and the people eventually pay the price. Copyright© 2000 Howard Taylor Go backto list of Articles in Summary. |