The eCrozier

“I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes.” — Attorney General Jeff Sessions

I’m occasionally accused by readers of bringing politics into what I write. I’m told to “stay in my lane” and not deviate from my role as Chief Pastor of the Diocese. I should, these readers contend, stick to religious instruction. I’ve consistently responded to such feedback by saying I try to do my best to stay away from “partisan” politics, that is, advocating for one political tribe, but our faith is lived out in the real world and that means we can’t avoid political issues because they have relevance for following Jesus.

Well, now, our Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, has veered out of his lane and brought the Bible, specifically St. Paul, to justify what can’t be justified by any Christian, namely, the removal of children from their parents while they await hearings on their immigration claims. Entering this country with a claim for asylum status isn’t a crime, and even entering without documentation, isn’t a felony, it’s a misdemeanor. When is a misdemeanor justification for separating children from their parents? But I digress.

Mr. Sessions chose to enlist St. Paul saying: “God has ordained the government for his purposes.” O has God? That’s a high-jacking of Romans 13 (thank God he didn’t cite Matthew 2:13-18 to justify governmental prerogative). St. Paul writes assuming the government is behaving justly. He instructs us to follow just laws and honor those who enforce them. But sometimes a law, or a law’s application, is unjust even if the government says otherwise. For example, when Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor turned water hoses and dogs on black teenagers in Birmingham, did God approve that simply because the government did it? When FDR ordered the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII solely for being of Japanese descent, was God ordaining that? When policeman choked Eric Garner to death for the crime of illegally selling cigarettes, was the government an agent of God’s purposes? I hope we all see the absurdity of Mr. Sessions’ claim that God sanctions everything the government does just because the government does it.

When laws are unjust or when they are used to promulgate injustice, St. Paul would never insist that disciples of Jesus support such injustices (read Romans 13:10 to see how St. Paul fully understood the law). We know from our history that our government told us to go along with the “Jim Crow” laws because God had ordained segregation. It’s central to the playbook that government leaders have used in the past to baptize whatever the government wishes to do. And they know exactly what they’re doing when they do it. I’m not suggesting Mr. Sessions should avoid all reference to his religion as Attorney General. I don’t expect him to stay in his lane any more than he should expect me to stay in mine. But if he’s going to use the Bible as justification, then he should at least not take it out of context. Maybe he didn’t know he was doing that? He’s, however, using an old playbook. And, in that regard, he knows exactly what he’s doing.

+Scott