“[I]f your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. –Romans 12:20 – 13:2
It was a time of turmoil. The Republic had transformed into Empire. Nationalism and militarism permeated the law. The population polarized between those who supported Empire and those who sought a different path. And in the midst of this, one of the most important cultural symbols was destroyed.
I’m not referring to 9-11, but to Judea in the first century AD. Rome was a machine built on colonization and its armies. Those who opposed it were destroyed. In 70 AD, Roman armies sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple, the great symbol of Hebrew religion.
In this environment of polarization and hatred, a small but growing group found ways to live in peace and justice. They followed the words of a Teacher who told them to enter the Kingdom of God. And they saw this Kingdom not as some distant promise, but as a commandment they ought to fulfill.
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. –Acts 4:34-35
Naturally they were persecuted not only by the State, but by the religious conservatives. They were threatened, jailed, and some were executed or murdered. Threatened with prison if he did not cease his work, one leader told the authorities,
“We must obey God rather than any human authority.” –Acts 5:2
Another, as he was being stoned to death by religious conservatives, prayed,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” –Acts 7:60
There is a seemingly paradoxical divergence between the teaching and the action: “Be subject to authorities.” “Obey God, not human authorities.”
There is a logical explanation. The early followers of Jesus obeyed God as they understood Him– and accepted punishment from the authorities for doing so. Peter was jailed and later crucified. Stephen was stoned to death. Early Christian men were committed to pacifism , and refused to join the Roman military– a crime for which the penalty was death. Women committed to celibacy refused to marry– another crime for which the penalty was death. Christians of both genders refused to recognize the Empire as the supreme authority– they believed God superseded nation– and the penalty for that was also death. Yet despite the obvious risks, this group of outcast pacifists grew quickly, spreading across the Empire.
As we in our time confront a Republic turned Empire, controlled by moneyed interests and not the electorate– as we call for our elected leaders to bring change that never seems to arrive, perhaps we should reexamine the followers of one of the earliest practitioners of passive resistance.
We can create the society we believe should exist– right here, right now. We can create a society within a society. We do not need our leaders to do it for us. There are risks. But if we are not willing to risk for our beliefs, we probably do not believe very strongly.
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