Wisconsin voters who cast ballots in the statewide Partisan Primary Election on August 13 will be confronted with two questions on their ballot that, if they receive a majority of “yes” votes, will amend the Wisconsin Constitution. It is important for all Wisconsin voters to understand these questions and what they will mean for our state if they receive a majority of “yes” votes. And it is important for all of us who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ to consider the impact of these proposed amendments in the context of our shared faith.
A Christian faith contextual perspective on governmental power, its legitimacy, and how we respond
Scripture has much to say about civic governments and how the People of God respond to them, depending on whether they act to do God’s justice. The thread running through the Bible — Old and New Testaments alike — is that rulers who govern justly and care for the people are blessed, and both the rulers and the people prosper. As is most notable in the writings of the Old Testament Prophets, however, rulers who are unjust and seek to wield their power not to benefit the people, but for the purpose of enhancing their own control, are condemned and bring ruin on themselves and the people. The prophet Jeremiah provides a good example. God commands Jeremiah: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, and say: Hear the word of the Lord, O King of Judah sitting on the throne of David — you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then through the gates of this house shall enter kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their servants, and their people. But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.” (Jeremiah 22:1-5)
The New Testament continues this theme, with Jesus’ insistence that the kingdom of God he champions and insists is coming into being right here, right now (Luke 17:21), is fundamentally different than the kingdoms and cultures over which the political rulers of the day presided. It is a kingdom that has at its core love for one another (John 13:34), humility and service to others (Matthew chs. 5-7), and mutual caretaking and caregiving (Matthew 25:34-40). Jesus’s singular focus on the kingdom of God leads him, where necessary, to challenge the rulers of the day and to disobey their laws, where those laws would result in injustice. So, for example, Jesus repeatedly performed acts of healing on the Sabbath, despite the insistence of the religious and legal authorities that it was forbidden. (Mark 3:1-5; Matthew 12:1-13; Luke 13:10-17; John 7:22-24; 9:1-16) In his final days with his disciples, Jesus reassures them that following the way of his teachings is the only way for God’s kingdom to come into being. Jesus gives them his peace, observing that this gift of his peace is different than how the world gives (John 14:27), and further contrasts the way of the world with his way — the way of the kingdom of God — noting that the disciples will receive the “Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him” (John 14:17). And indeed, as we see from the very outset after Jesus’ death early in the Book of Acts, the disciples did just that, following Jesus’ command to love and serve others, even where their acts of mercy and justice directly challenged the religious and political authorities. (Acts chs. 3-4)
So, as we approach our opportunity to vote on proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution, I encourage you to question how the decisions you make in casting your ballot reflect how you are called by God to discipleship in Jesus Christ, not only in serving your faith community, but in our shared public life as well.
Read the entire article online at https://tinyurl.com/3vr24wsj to learn more about the specific questions on this August’s ballot.
— The Wisconsin Council of Churches (WCC) is a network of Christian churches and faith-based organizations committed to working together across our many differences. The Council connects 21 Christian traditions, which have approximately 2,000 congregations and over one million church members in Wisconsin. This article was prepared by the author in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Stafford Rosenbaum LLP or Law Forward, Inc.
