The Bible says that Christians are part of the Body of Christ. Like a body, each part has its own unique role to play. Eyes, ears, hands, internal parts. We can't all be mouths, hands, etc., or how could the body function? Not only do we have to have all the parts, but we have to serve in our own roles. The same goes for family. We can't have two husbands or two wives, and the children cannot perform the parental role while the parents act like kids. God commands the church to care for widows and orphans. The same for government. Each part of government has a designated role. Obviously, these roles may be defined in numerous ways from nation to nation and state to state. In the USA, our nation is governed by rule of law, and each part of government is to stay within its boundaries. We don't have nuclear armed county sheriffs or federal dogcatchers. Congress doesn't concern itself with local zoning ordinances and the city council doesn't build nuclear weapons. Things go really wrong when judges, presidents, and bureaucracies try to create laws, the federal government usurps state power, and the like. If everyone were a legislator, where would the judging be? Of everyone were a federal agent, where would a local policeman be? Our government has long ago mutated from a properly functioning body to an insane, mutant monster with lots of hands in our pockets, eyes upon us, and a warped mind. Human government is trying to replace family government as well as the role of God. Only God has the right to know our inmost thoughts. What if everyone said, I am an Oklahoman, I don't belong to America? Or if you are from California, you are not an American because you are not like us? By the same token, there should not be categories like African-American, because one is either African or American. Indeed, are there even Africans? Wouldn't they be Egyptians or Nigerians, etc.? In the United States, citizenship is defined nationally. The Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution, for example, honors laws from state to state and travel is unrestricted. There is no legal definition of state citizenship, just state residency. What is the point to my rambling? There is much discussion of federal overreach, tenth amendment, states' rights, nullification and interposition, secession, and the like today. It is clear that the federal government had gone off the reservation and is in chronic violation of the Constitution, crushing the states with its tyranny. The states have gladly complied for "free" federal money. I do not wish to get into the myriad examples right now. The United States of America is like a body, even in a sense as described in 1 Corinthians 12. I don't what to carry the analogy too far, but if it is a physical body, could the federal government be considered the skin? We really can't do without its protection. If we compare the nation to the Church, God can surely provide for her even if she has faults, but it would dishonor the nation to reject certain members or to secede. These are indeed the times that try men's souls. In discussing solutions to our national woes, I pray you remember that we are all Americans. It is not right to set liberals or progressives or Californians or socialists or any other groups as our enemies. We have all had a part in bringing on the decline of our nation. It all boils down the gospel truth- hate the sin, but love the sinner. We have all sinned and are fellow citizens with every sinner. We are all Oklahomans. Californians. New Yorkers. Americans. The last thing I would ever want to happen is for states to secede or there be another horrible civil war. The idea might sound crazy, but I think it's not impossible, given the increasing strength of division in our nation. Left versus right. Liberal versus progressive versus conservative. The race war that some desperately want to incite. Jesus taught that we have no right to hate "those people". Please remember this in the days ahead.
