YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES
By
Al Hoksbergen
We are different. Out of the ordinary. Not run of the mill. The difference arises out of
the claim that we belong to Christ. The Bible has a special word to designate our unusual
stance in the world. It is the word “holy.” The Apostle Peter has this to say about who
we are: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging
to God.” (I Peter 2:9).
The claim that we belong to Christ, provided we are honest about our profession, has a
tremendous impact on who we are. We are commissioned to act and speak for God. As
the ascending Lord Jesus told his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Christians in the Reformed tradition not only take seriously the call to proclaim the Good
News about the risen Christ; we also take seriously the call to witness for Christ in all
areas of life. This broader concept is one of the motivating principles that lies behind the
emphasis on Christian education in the CRC. Christ is Lord of all of life, not just the
spiritual dimensions. We often refer to this broader concept as our “World and Life”
perspective.
It is, therefore, not surprising that when George W. Bush became president of the United
States, many in the Reformed tradition welcomed his presidency with enthusiasm. He
was one of us! We loved to hear him declare boldly his personal faith in Christ as his
Lord and Savior. Even though he may be unaware of the “World and Life” perspective
that shapes our faith, we anticipated that his faith would play a significant role in the
conduct of his duties as president. We have been outspoken in our support of the
President.
But in the past six years of the Bush presidency, some issues have surfaced that should
have stretched our complete support of the President to the breaking point. Our
testimony about support for his faith in Christ has been loud and clear. But where is our
voice when it comes to other crucial issues that also come under the Lordship of Christ?
For example, as President Bush and his administration were laying plans to invade Iraq, a
majority of members in congress of both political parties were initially in support of the
President. When trustworthy allies warned against the folly of such a move, the Bush
administration and congress placed the world on notice that the United States had the
military strength and determination to go it alone if need be.
A number of Christian leaders raised their voices in protest to the invasion of Iraq with
the warning that it would be an arrogant act, contrary to the way of Christ. Roman
Catholic Bishops wrote openly about their opposition to the intended attack. Leaders of
Methodist and Episcopal Churches also raised their voices in protest. But leaders of the
Reformed tradition were noticeably silent.
What did Reformed leaders mean by their silence? Did it mean that they were of the
opinion that an invasion of Iraq would be in sync with the will of Christ? One should
expect people who hold to a “World and Life” view to speak out, either endorsing the
invasion of Iraq or warning that such a move would be counter to what Christ would have
us do. Certainly people in the Reformed tradition believe that the Lord of all creation
would have a word about such a radical move as a military invasion of a relatively small
sovereign nation by the super power of the world. The concern should have mounted
when the USA determined to ignore the advice of major allies. But we were
resoundingly silent. What happened to the commission that we be Christ’s witnesses?
Another area in which Reformed believers have been painfully silent is the matter of
prisoner abuse. The world was horrified to learn about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the
Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Considerable uncertainty prevails regarding the treatment of
prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Many are not clear about what our government
means when it tries to assure the world that it is opposed to prisoner abuse. Questions are
raised when we learn that sometimes the government takes steps to “prepare” prisoners
for interrogation.
When I served with the US army in Korea during the Korean Conflict, I was at risk of
being captured by the North Korean and Chinese armies. Everyone knew that military
prisoners were subjected to awful abuse by these armies. Everyone also knew that the
United States did not knowingly tolerate prisoner abuse. I was issued a Geneva
Convention Card, a card I still carry in my wallet, informing would-be captors that our
government abided by the rules of war re prisoners as outlined by the Geneva
Convention. But we are told that some prisoners held by our government since 9/11 do
not come under the protection of the Geneva Convention. That should raise huge red
flags for us.
While this matter was being debated, Joe Klein wrote an editorial in Time magazine in
which he criticized the position advocated by our government. He titled his editorial,
“Where Is the Outrage.” He was surprised that so few spoke up about the moral decline
of a nation that was once recognized as being opposed to any form of prisoner abuse.
It took a long time before evangelical Christians voiced their concern about the inherent
evil of deliberately abusing an image bearer of God, regardless of how depraved we
might perceive a person to be. Finally, the February 2006 issue of Christianity Today
carried a cover article titled, “Why Torture Is Always Wrong.” But to this date I am not
aware of any magazine in the Reformed tradition that has taken our government to task
for its ambivalent position regarding abuse of prisoners. That is surprising to me. I
expected something more from those who hold to a “World and Life” view of
Christianity.
Another matter I would expect to be high on the Reformed agenda is a persistent defense
of the poor. Poverty is a global concern. We do respond in numerous ways to the needs
of the poor through our local deaconates and through denominational agencies such as
CRWRC. We also send high-level denominational leaders to national conferences that
grapple with programs that could effectively meet the needs of the poor.
But the cat seems to have gotten our tongue regarding the Bush administration’s effort to
seek permanent tax cuts for the wealthy while proposing deficits that stagger the
imagination. This too should raise a number of red flags for “World and Life” view
Christians. But no one from our tradition seems to be interested in coming to the defense
of the poor or attempting to explain how such legislation could be beneficial for them.
There is no need to point out that our Lord was a poor man who felt most at home when
he stood among the poor in his earthly teaching and preaching. But where are his
followers when the poor are being left to bear increasingly greater burdens as a result of
tax cuts for the wealthy? I wish those who are materially well off in the Reformed
tradition would rise up with a united voice in protest to a budget that leaves the poor to
suffer even more than they are as a result of tax cuts for the wealthy.
These areas do not intend to challenge the integrity of the faith President Bush has in
Christ as his Lord and Savior. Instead, it calls into question some of the major decisions
made by him and his administration. It also calls believers in the Reformed tradition to
examine the quality and integrity of their claim to be “World and Life” view believers.
Clearly no single person, or group of persons, can speak for the entire Reformed
community. But when no one in our tradition publicly addresses such crucial issues as
those raised above, it leaves the impression that our claim to hold to a “World and Life”
view of the Christian faith is doing little more than putting a paper tiger on display.