Words - Johan D.Tangelder

Words!

Words! Words! I'm so sick of words!
I get words all day through;
First from him, now from you!
Is that all you blighters can do? (Eliza to Freddy in My Fair Lady)

Don't these words describe the statements made and directives given by political leaders in North America? This modern era has been rich in its promises to man. We are being promised – heaven on earth, peace and good will for all mankind, prosperity for everybody, justice for every minority group. We are being promised cradle to the grave security by some, the abolition of poverty by all, equality and the conquering of disease. And I imagine they will promise to abolish death for us when the right opportunity presents itself. Year in and year out, modern man has had the message of the coming Utopia dinned in his ears till he has become nearly deaf.

The U.S. is in its presidential election year. We will have to face another election campaign also. We will hear words and more words. We look back at all the zig zag courses of the politicians, the reversals of decisions. Policies made some years ago and heralded as the solution for the problem at hand are being revised. Who would have thought that President Nixon would ever visit China? Actually, the politically stance of our age is not surprising at all. There is a general decline in the influence of ideology everywhere. At least, this is what they claim. Political Scientist James MacGregor Burns says "We don't have an ideology – any structured, systematic, historic set of deeply rooted values." I don't agree.

We are faced with an ideology which has caused disillusionment. It has failed to sustain man spiritually, and left him in the cold. The ideology of our era is humanism. This is a firm religious belief in the sufficiency of man as his own lord, as his own source of law, and moral standards. He is the beginning and end of all things. Humanism has made man the measuring stick.

What should evangelical Christians do as they face the forth coming election? Should the church as an institution be involved in political action? No. But individual Christians have a responsibility, yet they seem to have forgotten this altogether. They have left culture and nation building up to the humanists! Too long they have refused to believe that God's Word has a real directive for our times. The Christian faith does not deal with just the motions of a man. The Christian is not just rushing through this present world. Sure, he is a pilgrim; but one with a task to perform. Let evangelical Christians affirm that the Bible and the Law of God do deal with the whole of human life. We are called by the Lord to face the critical issues of our society and we should help to resolve them in a Christian Biblical way. We should promote justice. The prophets of Old Testament times fought for this. Jesus preached it and the final fulfillment will be in the new heaven and the new earth. Biblical justice must be promoted. This is the key to Christian political thinking.

"For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." (Ps. 33: 5,6)

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light upon my path." (Ps. 119: 105).

Johan D. Tangelder
May, 1972

		Reformed Reflections
	Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do? (Eliza to Freddy in My Fair Lady) Don't these words describe the statements made and directives given by political leaders in North America? This modern era has been rich in its promises to man. We are being promised – heaven on earth, peace and good will for all mankind, prosperity for everybody, justice for every minority group. We are being promised cradle to the grave security by some, the abolition of poverty by all, equality and the conquering of disease. And I imagine they will promise to abolish death for us when the right opportunity presents itself. Year in and year out, modern man has had the message of the coming Utopia dinned in his ears till he has become nearly deaf. The U.S. is in its presidential election year. We will have to face another election campaign also. We will hear words and more words. We look back at all the zig zag courses of the politicians, the reversals of decisions. Policies made some years ago and heralded as the solution for the problem at hand are being revised. Who would have thought that President Nixon would ever visit China? Actually, the politically stance of our age is not surprising at all. There is a general decline in the influence of ideology everywhere. At least, this is what they claim. Political Scientist James MacGregor Burns says "We don't have an ideology – any structured, systematic, historic set of deeply rooted values." I don't agree. We are faced with an ideology which has caused disillusionment. It has failed to sustain man spiritually, and left him in the cold. The ideology of our era is humanism. This is a firm religious belief in the sufficiency of man as his own lord, as his own source of law, and moral standards. He is the beginning and end of all things. Humanism has made man the measuring stick. What should evangelical Christians do as they face the forth coming election? Should the church as an institution be involved in political action? No. But individual Christians have a responsibility, yet they seem to have forgotten this altogether. They have left culture and nation building up to the humanists! Too long they have refused to believe that God's Word has a real directive for our times. The Christian faith does not deal with just the motions of a man. The Christian is not just rushing through this present world. Sure, he is a pilgrim; but one with a task to perform. Let evangelical Christians affirm that the Bible and the Law of God do deal with the whole of human life. We are called by the Lord to face the critical issues of our society and we should help to resolve them in a Christian Biblical way. We should promote justice. The prophets of Old Testament times fought for this. Jesus preached it and the final fulfillment will be in the new heaven and the new earth. Biblical justice must be promoted. This is the key to Christian political thinking. "For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." (Ps. 33: 5,6) "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light upon my path." (Ps. 119: 105). Johan D. Tangelder May, 1972

Reformed Reflections