This from the National Council of Churches Website caused me to think about this in this way: Call upon the government, but maybe first, act as church. DO what you are calling upon the government to do. In other words, BE the church, and then perhaps the government will see or act out of a sense of obgligation, or with some sense of “this is what the people want, and so we’ll help”. Acting out of pressure to act is actually what we should expect, but failing that, we act nevertheless.
Did anybody question that church agencies should act in response to the Tsunami? No. We just went and did it, and people sent money to help with this. So, my question is, how “tragic” does the event need to be before the church acts together as a force to respond? Of course, the answer is, we act on everything. It’s basically the calling of the church. We are to be at the diosposal of the ongoing activity of the Kingdom of God, and we are to proclaim that our purpose is to respond to this. To accomplish this, God gives gifts to the people, and calls them together in a divine collaboration. Our community is all about shaping us into this group of responders. Our community is all about shaping us to discern the truth, and that this requires a difference from the ways of the world. The way of violence, the way of wealth-seeking, and the ways of “the market” that we are taught is the “way things are”. God has other ideas about the purpose of the creation, of history.
National Council of Churches USA — Home Page
People of faith are praying for Darfur — and calling upon the U.S. government to act
I am in no position to say whether or not the majority of “Progressives” are faithful in acts of mer5cy themselves. To those who are, I support any alliance that helps form and support this collaboration of God’s people. To the ones who do not, I can see where the term “Constantinian” can apply even tho those who use the term and know what it means, and yet the sum total of their activity is in an advocacy that cheers on the work without actually doing much themselves.
