Politics? Yes I went there, but not how you might have thought

I know, I know, I know. The two topics you should never talk about are religion and politics. Now I am more or less forced to talk about the former but to bring the latter in too  . . . well, what was I thinking?

What I was thinking, was a slightly different take on 1 Timothy 2:1,2. I have always been slightly uncomfortable with this passage. I get that we are supposed to pray for kings and leaders and such but the reasoning seemed somewhat strange to me. The usual interpretation for this is that we should pray for those folks in authority over us — political, legal, ecclesiastical, etc. — so we could have quiet and peaceful lives. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a quite and peaceful life and the older I get the more attractive such a life becomes but is that really what this is about? Are we supposed to pray for those in authority over us so we can enjoy, let’s call a spade a spade, comfort? God is not opposed to comfort, not even ours, check out the first chapter of 2 Corinthians if you want some proof.* What I don’t see all that often is a call to prayer for this sort of comfort. When I began thinking of it in those terms, I turned the emphasis slightly from praying for a world which is quiet, peaceful, godly and holy and in which we live, to praying that we might be the kind of people who are quiet, peaceful, godly and holy . . . no matter what kind of world we are in. Changes things rather profoundly doesn’t it.

Knox Presbyterian Wait, but I didn’t vote for . . .

St. Mark’s Presbyterian Wait, but I didn’t vote for . . .

As always, I would be delighted to hear what you think about this, or anything really 🙂 in the comments below.

Blessings,

*the word “comfort” or “comforts” is used nine times in the first seven verses in the NIV.