Don’t Just Worry about the World

There’s a high level of anxiety in the United States about global issues including wars of aggression, terrorism, poverty, racism, global warming, etc. And there’s a lot of hand-wringing about what any of us can do about these problems, regardless of our beliefs.

The good news is that many organizations can help us gather information about what’s going on and leverage our efforts to make constructive change. Here are just a few:

Citizen Connect is a non-partisan network of about 500 citizen groups that advise Congress about public policy. Go to their website, “Election 2022: What Every Citizen Can Do,” and find the groups that focus on issues you care about.

If you think Congress doesn’t do enough about foreign problems, go to the website for the House Foreign Affairs Committee to track bills currently being considered. On the date of this writing (October 2), 214 of these bills were in motion. The site gives you full details about each bill so you can pray intelligently about them—then write, call, or email your representative about what you believe they should do.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is a non-partisan organization that sponsors online and face-to-face events where citizens can learn about a wide range of foreign policy issues and talk with each other about how to work for change.

The Miller Center of the University of Virginia is an unparalleled source of information about current foreign policy issues. Each month, the Center sponsors a series of online webinars for their students and the public, featuring well-known public figures.

 

“He Said It, So It Must Be True”

Words may fall into obscurity for lack of use, even though they refer to realities that still figure prominently in our daily lives. Here’s one that has been little used since the days of the McCarthy hearings: propaganda. We need to blow dust off that word and reacquaint ourselves with what it means, because we are now immersed in it.

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines propaganda as “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.” It comes from the name of the Vatican’s Congregatio de propaganda fide (“Congregation for propagating the faith”), established in 1622 to promote Catholic missionary activity. Eventually, propaganda referred to any large-scale effort to inform the public.

However, the term gained a negative connotation in the late 19th century as European political leaders rallied their people by spreading messages of German national pride, English national pride, Russian national pride, etc. As they ratcheted up their rhetoric, they made ever more outlandish claims that depicted themselves as heroes and their neighbors as villains–even more so when war broke out. California Senator Hiram W. Johnson said at the time, “The first casualty when war comes is truth.”

We find ourselves in a similar situation. Around the globe, national leaders extol their moral superiority to recruit fanatics who will trample upon their neighbors’ basic rights. They use emotionally charged words to promote their causes and dismiss the claims of others.

As a writer, I’m keenly aware of the power of words. They can rescue, counsel, and encourage. They can also incite bigotry, suspicion of foreigners, and insurrection against the state. Simply because a leader says something emphatically and repeatedly, I cannot assume it is “a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance” (see 1 Tim. 4:9). Like the people of Berea when they first heard the astonishing news of Jesus Christ, I need to check today’s propaganda against Scripture to see whether it’s true (see Acts 17:11).

 

 

I Am Not A Political Activist

I am not a political activist but a human being, so I share humanity’s responsibility for the world in which we live. I will not pollute the air that all humanity breathes, poison the water that all humanity drinks, or subvert the land that is the source of all humanity’s food and clothing.

I am not a political activist but a citizen, so I pay careful attention to what is happening in the civic arena. I support or oppose political decisions that affect our civic freedoms. I resist any oppression of my fellow citizens, even when it is perpetrated in the name of patriotism.

I am not a political activist but a Christian, so I intend to be a clear voice of truth and an unmistakable example of compassion like my Lord Jesus Christ. I will not put myself or my nation’s priorities first, but my suffering neighbor first, as Jesus teaches me.

If you merely observe what I say and do, you might suppose I am a foot soldier for some political movement; but if you ask why I say and do these things, you will learn my true identity. I am not a political activist but a human being, a citizen, and a Christian. I do not seek to advance any political party or national cause, but the well-being of all God’s creatures.